According to the latest data from the National Energy Administration, my country's total social electricity consumption reached 9.85 trillion kilowatt-hours in 2024, an increase of 6.8% year-on-year. As the "barometer" of economic development, what new momentum and vitality is hidden behind the changes in electricity consumption numbers?

Electricity is the first priority for all industries to prosper. Electricity consumption intuitively reflects the economic vitality and development trend of a country and region. From the perspective of total volume, the growth rate of electricity consumption in the whole society in 2024 will increase by 0.1 percentage point compared with 2023. The steady and rising growth rate of electricity consumption reflects the overall stable and steady operational trend of the national economy under the influence of a package of policy measures such as "two levels" and "two new" and "two new" and is a powerful proof of the sufficient momentum of my country's economic development.

Electricity is an important support for the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas and agricultural modernization. In 2024, the electricity consumption of the primary industry reached 135.7 billion kilowatt-hours, an increase of 6.3% year-on-year, indicating that the process of agricultural modernization continues to accelerate. Inadequate power supply capacity, low power supply reliability and unstable voltage were once common problems in rural electricity use. In recent years, my country has vigorously implemented the agricultural network consolidation and improvement project to promote the electrification of agricultural production and rural industries. From 2018 to 2024, the national primary industry electricity consumption increased by 10.5% annually, significantly higher than the growth rate of the added value of the primary industry during the same period. The level of electrification of agricultural production continues to improve, which not only improves agricultural production efficiency, but also "enough electricity" for the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas.

As a major electricity user, the secondary industry has been continuously optimized for its power consumption structure. In 2024, the national secondary industry electricity consumption was 6.39 trillion kilowatt-hours, an increase of 5.1% year-on-year. Among them, electricity consumption in high-tech and equipment manufacturing increased by 10.3% year-on-year, significantly higher than the average growth level of manufacturing in the same period. In contrast, the four major high-energy-load industries saw electricity consumption increase by 2.2% year-on-year in 2024, and the growth rate fell by 3.1 percentage points from the previous year. The growth rate of electricity consumption in the two major areas is "one high and one low", which means that my country's manufacturing industry is undergoing a profound change, transforming from traditional labor-intensive to technology-intensive, and striving to climb to both ends of the "smile curve". The electricity consumption growth rate in industries such as electrical machinery, computer communications, automobile manufacturing, instruments and meters has exceeded 10%, becoming the vanguard of my country's economic transformation and upgrading, and injecting new impetus into economic development.

The growth of electricity consumption in the tertiary industry is also eye-catching. In 2024, the electricity consumption of the tertiary industry was 1.8 trillion kilowatt-hours, an increase of 9.9% year-on-year. The steady recovery and digital transformation of the service industry are the main factors driving the growth of electricity consumption in the tertiary industry. The growth rate of electricity consumption in traditional service industries such as wholesale and retail, accommodation and catering exceeds the average level of the service industry, and consumption is gradually stabilizing and improving. The electricity consumption of emerging service industries such as Internet data and computing services, charging and swapping services has surged, showing strong development momentum in emerging fields such as the digital economy and the new energy vehicle industry, and has become a new engine to promote high-quality economic development.

The rapid increase in electricity consumption for urban and rural residents has drawn a more vivid picture of people's livelihood. In 2024, the household electricity consumption of urban and rural residents was 1.49 trillion kilowatt-hours, an increase of 10.6% year-on-year. It not only reflects the growth of household electricity demand and the improvement of residents' living standards, but also reflects the continuous improvement of my country's electrification level, and more and more families are beginning to enjoy the convenience brought by electrification. This is not just a string of numbers, but also a true portrayal of people's yearning for a better life.

Looking forward, my country's economy will continue to maintain a stable growth trend, and the demand for electricity consumption will also further increase. From the rapid growth of high-tech and equipment manufacturing industries to the vigorous development of the digital economy, from the improvement of electrification level to the concept of green development being deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, every detail shows the firm pace and vitality of my country's economic transformation and upgrading. With the rise of more emerging industries and the comprehensive transformation of green and low-carbon, China's economy will show broader development prospects and unlimited possibilities. (Source of this article: Economic Daily Author: Wang Yichen)