A drone photo taken on Nov. 3, 2024 shows a photovoltaic power project in Rudong County of Nantong City, east China's Jiangsu Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's electricity consumption, a key barometer of economic activity, rose by 6.8 percent year on year in 2024, according to data released on Monday by the National Energy Administration.

The total figure for the year was 9.85 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh), the data showed.

During 2024, power consumption by the country's primary industries increased by 6.3 percent year on year, while that of its secondary and tertiary sectors rose by 5.1 percent and 9.9 percent, respectively.

Residential power usage saw strong growth of 10.6 percent last year, the administration said.