In 2024, Digital Consumption of Chinese Residents Accounted for Over 40% of Total Consumption

According to information obtained by reporters from the Ministry of Commerce, and based on calculations by the Ministry, the scale of digital consumption among Chinese residents reached 23.8 trillion yuan in 2024, equivalent to 44.2% of total resident consumption that year.

The Ministry of Commerce and other departments recently issued the "Guiding Opinions on Vigorously Developing Digital Consumption and Jointly Creating a Better Life in the Digital Age." At a recent regular press conference, He Yadong, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, introduced the background and main features of this document.

The first key term is digital consumption, aiming to enhance its quality and expand its scale. Digital consumption is an important component of new forms of consumption, encompassing the consumption of digital products, digital services, digital content, and consumption realized through digital channels. In terms of scale, according to Ministry of Commerce calculations, the scale of digital consumption among Chinese residents reached 23.8 trillion yuan in 2024, equivalent to 44.2% of total resident consumption that year. The Guiding Opinions support the high-quality development of digital products, digital services, and digital content.

The second key term is the digital age, emphasizing the driving force of digital technology innovation. The Guiding Opinions focus on implementing the "AI+" initiative, encouraging enterprises to accelerate R&D and innovation, promoting the integrated application of AI in more consumer sectors, guiding digital empowerment for cultural and museum venues, tourist attractions, and leisure districts, creating immersive and experiential diversified consumption scenarios, and stimulating innovation vitality in digital consumption.

The third key term is better life, focusing on the needs for a better digital life. The Guiding Opinions adhere to combining consumption promotion with improving people's livelihoods, continuously innovating the supply of digital products and services, focusing on livelihood areas such as life services, healthcare, and elderly care, and by building online-offline integrated 15-minute convenient living circles, high-quality smart service application scenarios are to be created.

He Yadong said that the next step involves the Ministry of Commerce actively collaborating with relevant departments to accelerate the implementation and effectiveness of the Guiding Opinions, guiding local governments in establishing sound working mechanisms and innovating work measures to maximize the potential of digital consumption.