BEIJING -- China's consumer market maintained stable performance in the first four months of 2026, as a raft of pro-consumption policies continued to take effect, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

In April, demand for green and smart products remained robust. Data from the ministry showed that sales of smart glasses on major monitored platforms surged 5.9-fold year-on-year last month, while sales of handheld cameras rose 26.9 percent from a year earlier. The country's new energy vehicle market penetration rate reached 61.4 percent in April, exceeding 60 percent for the first time.

Growth in rural consumption outpaced that of urban areas in the first four months of the year. Retail sales of consumer goods in rural areas increased 2.8 percent year-on-year during this period, 1 percentage point faster than the growth recorded in urban areas.

Inbound consumption continued to heat up, as China expanded visa-free policies and further optimized its departure tax refund policies. In the January-April period, departure tax-refund sales in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, both in South China, had surged 186 percent and 145 percent year-on-year, respectively.

Previously released official data showed that China's retail sales of consumer goods, a key gauge of the country's consumption strength, had expanded 1.9 percent year-on-year in the January-April period of 2026.