China's gross domestic product expanded 7.0 percent on year in the first quarter of 2015, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday, coming in at 14,066.7 billion yuan.
The headline figure was in line with expectations while slowing from 7.3 percent in the previous three months.
On an annualized quarterly basis, GDP gained 1.3 percent - below expectations for 1.4 percent and down from 1.5 percent in the fourth quarter.
The value added of the primary industry was 777.0 billion yuan, up by 3.2 percent year-on-year; that of the secondary industry was 6,029.2 billion yuan, up 6.4 percent; and that of the tertiary industry was 7,260.5 billion yuan, up 7.9 percent.
The bureau added that industrial production gained just 5.6 percent on year in March - shy of forecasts for an increase of 7.0 percent and down from 7.9 percent in February. Output was up 0.25 percent on month.
For the first quarter, industrial production gained 6.4 percent on year.
The value added growth of state holding enterprises was up 1.7 percent; collective enterprises up 2.4 percent; share-holding enterprises up 7.4 percent; and a 4.3 percent growth for enterprises funded by foreign investors or investors from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan provinces.
The value added growth for mining industry was up 3.2 percent on year; manufacturing up 7.2 percent and the production and supply of electricity, heat, gas and water up 2.3 percent.
The sales ratio of industrial enterprises above designated size was 97.2 percent. The export delivery value of the industrial enterprises above designated size reached 2,628.7 billion yuan, up by 2.9 percent.
Retail sales advanced an annual 10.2 percent, also below expectations for 10.9 percent and down from 11.9 percent in the previous month. Sales were up or 0.71 percent on month.
In the first quarter of 2015, the total retail sales of consumer goods reached 7,071.5 billion yuan, an increase of 10.6 percent.
Fixed asset investment climbed 13.5 percent on year to 7,751.1 billion yuan for the period of January to March. That missed forecasts for 13.9 percent, which would have been unchanged.
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