China's electricity consumption rose 6.9 per cent year on year in May, highlighting steady industrial energy demand in the world’s second-largest economy and reinforcing signals of sustained power growth across key manufacturing sectors, according to official data.
Total power use reached 867.1 billion kilowatt-hours last month, the National Energy Administration said. The figures are closely watched by energy markets as they provide a real-time indicator of industrial activity, fuel demand pressures, and broader economic momentum in China, which remains a major driver of global oil and gas consumption patterns through its energy mix and manufacturing base.
By sector, electricity use in the primary industry rose 5 per cent year on year to 12.4 billion kilowatt-hours. The secondary industry, which includes manufacturing and heavy industry, recorded a 6 per cent increase to 575.3 billion kilowatt-hours.
Within that segment, industrial power consumption climbed 6.2 per cent to 570.3 billion kilowatt-hours. High-tech equipment manufacturing posted a sharper increase of 12.2 per cent, reaching 109.1 billion kilowatt-hours, underscoring continued expansion in advanced manufacturing and electrified production chains.
Electricity demand in the tertiary sector rose 9.7 per cent to 170.4 billion kilowatt-hours, supported by rapid growth in digital and service-based energy use. The charging and battery swapping services sector surged 59.9 per cent, while internet data services increased 45.4 per cent, reflecting accelerating electrification of transport infrastructure and expansion of data-heavy digital economies.
Residential consumption also increased, rising 7.5 per cent year on year to 109 billion kilowatt-hours, as household demand continued to grow alongside warmer seasonal conditions and higher appliance usage.
For the first five months of the year, China’s total electricity consumption reached 4,201.8 billion kilowatt-hours, up 5.7 per cent compared with the same period a year earlier. The sustained upward trend signals resilient underlying demand in both industrial and consumer sectors, with implications for coal use, grid stability, and broader energy market balances.
