Changsha's per capita consumption expenditure stood at 26,783 yuan in the first three quarters of this year, up 7.0% from the same period last year, according to data released by the Changsha Team of the National Bureau of Statistics on November 2.

In terms of urban and rural areas, the per capita consumption expenditure of urban residents grew by 5.5% year-on-year to 30,466 yuan in the January-September period this year, sending the two-year average growth rate to 2.5%, and that of rural residents rose 13.5% to 17,398 yuan, increasing by 7.0% on a two-year average basis.

According to the survey, Changsha residents' consumption expenditure in the first three quarters has the following four major characteristics:

First, eight major categories of consumption increased across the board. Residents' expenditure on education, culture and entertainment was 5,198 yuan, continuing the rapid growth trend of the first half of the year, with a year-on-year growth of 20.8%. Food, tobacco and alcohol expenditure was 6,405 yuan, rising 5.0%; residence expenses were 5,292 yuan, up 3.9%; health care expenditure was 1,990 yuan, up 5.1%; expenditure on daily necessities and services was 1,957 yuan, up 2.7%; clothing expenditure was 1,645 yuan, an increase of 4.2%; expenditure on transportation and communication was 3,648 yuan, up 3.2%; and, expenditure on other supplies and services was 650 yuan, increasing by 5.5%.

Second, spending on basic necessities such as food, clothing and housing increased steadily. Residents' per capita expenditure on food, tobacco and alcohol grew by 5.0% on a yearly basis in the first three quarters and 3.6% on a two-year average basis. The growth in clothing expenditure came in at 4.2% on a yearly basis in the January-September period, sending the two-year average growth to 1.9%. Per capita spending on housing increased by 3.9% year-on-year in the first three quarters, with a two-year average growth of 3.1%. Changsha's Engel's coefficient, which measures food expenditures as a proportion of total household spending, dropped to 23.9% in the first three quarters this year from last year's 24.4%, down 0.5 percentage points from the same period last year.

Third, development- and enjoyment-type consumption saw a sustained recovery. Residents' spending on education, culture, entertainment, and other supplies and services was greatly affected by the epidemic last year, and continued to recover this year. Changsha residents' per capita expenditure on education, culture and entertainment rose 20.8% year-on-year in the first three quarters of this year, putting the two-year average growth at 7.9%. Per capita expenditure on daily necessities and services grew by 2.7% on a yearly basis in the first three quarters and 1.0% on a two-year average basis. The growth in health care expenditure came in at 5.1% on a yearly basis in the January-September period, sending the two-year average growth to 2.7%. Per capita expenditure on transportation and communication rose by 3.2% year-on-year in the first nine months, with a two-year average growth of 1.0%. Per capita expenditure on other supplies and services increased by 5.5% year-on-year in the first three quarters, registering a two-year average growth of 2.5%. The proportion of development- and enjoyment-type consumption in resident consumption was 1.2 percentage points higher than last year, and 0.3 percentage points higher than the year before last year.

Fourth, rural consumption recovered better than urban consumption. In the first three quarters, the growth rate of per capita consumption expenditure of rural residents was 8 percentage points higher than that of urban residents. Rural residents’ performances in eight major categories of consumption were all better than urban residents. The growth rate of rural residents’ spending on food, tobacco and alcohol was 10.9 percentage points higher than urban residents. The growth rate of rural residents' education, culture and entertainment expenditure was 9.5 percentage points higher than urban residents. The growth rate of rural residents’ housing expenses was 11.7 percentage points higher than urban residents. The ratio of per capita consumption expenditure between urban and rural residents also dropped from 1.88 in 2020 to 1.75 in the first three quarters of 2021. The per capita consumption of rural residents has recovered better than that of urban residents, and the consumption gap between urban and rural residents is further narrowing.

Source: en.changsha.gov.cn