BEIJING - China's electricity consumption, a key barometer of economic activity, rose by 6.8 percent year-on-year in 2024, according to data released on Monday by the National Energy Administration.

The total figure for the year was 9.85 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh), the data showed.

During 2024, power consumption by the country's primary industries increased by 6.3 percent year-on-year, while that of its secondary and tertiary sectors rose by 5.1 percent and 9.9 percent, respectively.

Residential power usage saw strong growth of 10.6 percent last year, the administration said.