Our country's online consumption continues to trend positively and innovatively

Wang Xiaoxiao

This newspaper Beijing, February 28 (Reporter Wang Ke) Data released by the Ministry of Commerce shows: Since the 14th Five-Year Plan, China’s digital consumption has expanded and improved in quality. The total scale of digital consumption has exceeded 23.8 trillion yuan, ranking as the world’s largest online retail market for 13 consecutive years.

China’s online consumption continues to maintain a positive and new development trend. By 2025, online retail sales are projected to reach 15.97 trillion yuan, an increase of 8.6% year-on-year, with the growth rate accelerating by 1.4 percentage points compared to the previous year. Among them, online retail sales of physical goods are expected to reach 13.09 trillion yuan, a 5.2% increase, contributing 1.3 percentage points to the growth of total social consumer goods retail sales during the same period. New consumption formats and models such as live streaming sales and instant retail are growing rapidly. The live e-commerce industry maintains a healthy development trend, with online transaction volume increasing by 11.3% compared to the previous year in 2025. Instant delivery services are developing quickly to better and faster meet consumer needs.

This impressive performance in online retail is a vivid reflection of China’s dual leap in the scale and quality of digital consumption.

Online retail leads consumption upgrading and deepens the foundation of people’s well-being.

Convenient and efficient online shopping has become a standard for Chinese consumers. According to big data monitoring from the Ministry of Commerce, by 2025, online retail sales of digital products such as mobile phones and smart robots are expected to grow by 20.5% and 18%, respectively. Online retail injects new momentum into the rapid rise of intelligent, quality, and green consumption, making the convenience of “placing orders with a tap and home delivery” accessible and beneficial to thousands of households.

Online retail helps drive industrial transformation and activates high-quality development momentum.

E-commerce promotes better matching of supply and demand, better stimulating the endogenous development of China’s industries. By 2025, the online retail sales of rural areas and agricultural products are expected to grow by 6.7% and 9.9%, respectively. E-commerce transactions in textiles and pharmaceuticals are projected to increase by 6.6% and 3.8%. Meanwhile, e-commerce drives rapid development in logistics and express delivery, communication software, artificial intelligence, and other sectors.

Online retail connects domestic and international markets, jointly creating a new picture of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.

China’s network retail “friend circle” is expanding. By 2025, China’s “Silk Road E-commerce” partner countries have expanded to 36. Shanghai’s “Silk Road E-commerce” cooperation pilot zone has established and promoted 12 institutional innovations, including cross-border recognition of digital identities. According to big data monitoring, retail sales on key cross-border e-commerce import platforms are expected to grow by 5.6% in 2025. The 4th Global Digital Trade Expo attracted 1,812 enterprises from 154 countries and regions, setting a new record in scale. It featured 382 new launches, premieres, and exhibitions—an increase of nearly 90%, contributing to inclusive and win-win economic globalization through e-commerce.

(See related reports on Page 8)

People’s Daily (March 1, 2026, Page 01)