On July 15, the National Energy Administration released data on China’s total electricity consumption for the first half of the year. The country’s total electricity consumption reached 5.0999 trillion kWh, representing a year-on-year increase of 5.3%. In June alone, electricity consumption totaled 898.1 billion kWh, up 3.7% year on year.

By sector, electricity consumption in the tertiary industry recorded the fastest growth during the first half of the year, increasing by 8.0% year on year, 1 percentage point higher than the same period last year, with total consumption reaching 991.6 billion kWh. The secondary industry remained the largest electricity consumer, with consumption totaling 3.3057 trillion kWh, representing a year-on-year increase of 5.1%, 2.6 percentage points higher than the same period last year.

“New growth drivers have propelled the tertiary industry to lead in electricity consumption growth,” said Wu Liqiang, Assistant Director of the Statistics and Digital Intelligence Department of the China Electricity Council. Since the beginning of this year, emerging industries represented by internet data services and charging and battery-swapping services have continued to experience rapid growth in electricity consumption.

According to statistics, electricity consumption in the internet data service industry increased by 44.0% year on year in the first half of the year, with cumulative consumption approaching the full-year level of 2024. Meanwhile, driven by the continued growth of new energy vehicle adoption, electricity consumption in China’s charging and battery-swapping service industry increased by 56.9% year on year.

“These two emerging industries contributed 59.3% of the incremental electricity consumption growth in the tertiary industry and have become key drivers of electricity demand growth supported by new economic momentum,” Wu Liqiang stated.

In the secondary industry, electricity consumption in the manufacturing sector continued to rise alongside relatively strong industrial production growth. During the first half of the year, manufacturing electricity consumption increased by 5.0% year on year, 3 percentage points higher than the same period last year.

Among these industries, electricity consumption in high-tech and equipment manufacturing increased by 9.8% year on year, 6 percentage points higher than the same period last year, making it the primary growth engine of the manufacturing sector.

Among sub-industries, electricity consumption growth in instrument manufacturing and electrical machinery and equipment manufacturing ranked among the highest, reaching 14.1% and 13.7%, respectively, during the first half of the year.

All sub-sectors within high-tech and equipment manufacturing achieved positive growth, with their combined incremental electricity consumption accounting for 45.5% of the total increase in manufacturing electricity consumption.