BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Electricity consumption by China's electric vehicle charging and internet data service sectors soared in July, highlighting robust demand from the country's fast-growing new-energy vehicle and digital industries, official data showed on Friday.
Power consumption by charging and battery-swapping services reached 16.4 billion kilowatt-hours in July, surging 50.3 percent year on year, while that of internet data services jumped 40.1 percent to 9.9 billion kilowatt-hours, according to the National Energy Administration.
China's total electricity consumption for July stood at 1.04 trillion kilowatt-hours, up 1.7 percent year on year.
A closer look reveals that electricity consumption by the primary industry stood at 16.7 billion kilowatt-hours in July, down 2 percent year on year. Power use by the tertiary industry rose 4.8 percent to 218.3 billion kilowatt-hours, while electricity consumption by the secondary industry increased 3 percent to 611.6 billion kilowatt-hours last month.
Notably, power consumption by high-tech and equipment manufacturing industries climbed 8.9 percent year on year to 122 billion kilowatt-hours in July.
Electricity consumption is widely seen as a barometer of economic activity, with shifts in power demand offering clues to changes in industrial structure and growth drivers.
Friday's data revealed that while overall power consumption grew at a moderate pace, electricity use in high-tech and equipment manufacturing expanded significantly faster, pointing to the growing role of advanced manufacturing in China's economy.
The sharp increases in power use by EV charging and data services also underscored the emergence of new sources of demand associated with the green and digital transitions.
In the first seven months of 2026, China's total electricity consumption rose 4.7 percent year on year to 6.14 trillion kilowatt-hours. Electricity use by charging and battery-swapping services surged 55.8 percent in this period, while that of internet data services increased by 43.3 percent. ■
