economic recovery.
The official data released on Monday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) came above expectations for a 5.0% increase in a Reuters poll of analysts.
Retail sales, a gauge of consumption, rose 2.0% in June, slowing significantly from a 3.7% increase in May. Analysts had expected retail sales to grow 3.3%.
Fixed asset investment expanded 3.9% in the first six months of 2024 from the same period a year earlier, in line with expectations. It rose 4.0% during January-May.