BEIJING, March 16, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Chinese consumer activity picked up pace in the first two months of the year, official data showed Monday, as Beijing seeks to revive spending in the world's second-largest economy.

Retail sales grew 2.8 percent in January and February combined, compared with the same period last year, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said.

The figure topped a forecast of 2.5 percent in a Bloomberg survey of economists.

China's authorities typically combine data for the first two months of the year to account for distortions caused by the varying Lunar New Year holiday, which normally sees a boost in activity.

The retail sales growth announced Monday was the largest since October but fell short of the jumps recorded during the same months in past years, including four percent in 2025.

Industrial production rose 6.3 percent in January-February, the NBS data showed. That also beat the 5.3 percent forecast in the Bloomberg survey.

And fixed asset investment leapt back into positive territory, rising 1.8 percent during the same period, the NBS said.