Extended holiday boosts growth in China's consumer market.
The service sector stands out as the main economic driver during this period.
247 - During the holiday commemorating National Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival of 2025, China recorded growth in consumption, reflected in increased sales of services, especially in areas such as tourism, culture, and sports, according to information from [source missing]. Global Times.
According to data from the State Administration of Taxation (STA), released by the Xinhua news agency, the average daily sales revenue in consumer-related sectors during this period rose 4,5% compared to the previous year.
In a context of robust economic recovery, consumption of goods grew 3,9% year-on-year, while services soared with a 7,6% increase, reflecting a transformation in Chinese consumer preferences.
Sales of digital products and vehicles led this growth, with telecommunications equipment, such as mobile phones, standing out with an 18,8% increase, driven by subsidy policies and the peak sales season. Automobile sales grew by 12,6%, while the increase in gold prices led to a 41,1% growth in jewelry sales.
The flow of people was another crucial factor in the success of this long weekend. Data from the Ministry of Transport showed that, between September 30th and October 7th, the total number of interregional trips reached 2,433 billion, setting a new record. The tourism sector was one of the main beneficiaries of this influx of travelers.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism reported that 888 million domestic trips were made during the holiday, resulting in an expenditure of 809,01 billion yuan (approximately US$113,9 billion), representing an increase of 108,2 billion yuan compared to the previous year.
The combination of a holiday one day longer than the one in 2024 with specific stimulus policies was cited by analysts as responsible for creating a synergistic effect, amplifying consumer spending.
Sales data from the retail and food service sectors also corroborate the widespread recovery. Sales at retail and food service businesses monitored by the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) grew by 2,7% compared to the previous year. On commercial streets, the revenue of 78 monitored streets registered a 6% increase during the holiday.
The opinion of Wang Peng, a researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, was shared with the Global Times"This year's festival consumption market exhibited a positive trend of steady recovery, along with structural improvements." According to Wang, policies incentivizing consumption, along with innovative offerings from companies, have been fundamental in further unleashing the vitality of consumption and expanding domestic demand.
The service sector proved particularly strong, according to detailed tax revenue data, with sales of tourism-related services showing an 8,5% increase compared to the previous year. In the same category, leisure and sightseeing activities registered an impressive growth of 17,6%. Demand for accommodation also soared, with a 9,7% increase in lodging revenue.
Furthermore, the culture and arts sectors experienced an expansion of 18,6%, while the sports and wellness sector also stood out, with a 12,5% increase in services offered in sports facilities and a 15,4% increase in leisure and fitness activities.
The robust performance of the services sector is aligned with national policy priorities, which recently announced a series of measures to expand service consumption, including interdepartmental efforts to improve the quality of supply and broaden demand.
