BEIJING, May 15 (Xinhua) -- China's retail sales of consumer goods rose 7.2 percent year on year to over 3 trillion yuan (436 billion U.S. dollars) in April, official data showed Wednesday.

(File Photo: VCG)

The growth narrowed from an increase of 8.7 percent registered in March, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). 

The indicator of consumption rose 8 percent year on year in the January-April period, down from the 8.3-percent rise seen in the first quarter, according to the NBS.

Wednesday's data also showed consumption in rural areas climbed 7.8 percent, outpacing a rise of 7.1 percent in urban regions. The catering industry reported a 8.5-percent increase in revenue.

Online retail sales maintained robust growth, surging 17.8 percent in the first four months, quickening from the 15.3-percent growth in the first quarter.

With a market of nearly 1.4 billion increasingly prosperous population, China strives to make consumption a major driver of its economic growth.