(Yicai Global) April 29 -- Operating profits at China’s internet and related service companies slumped almost 25 percent to CNY18.4 billion (USD2.6 billion) in the first quarter from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Revenues rose 1.5 percent to CNY215.3 billion (USD30.4 billion) in the three months ended March, the ministry said on its website. That compares with a 17.3 percent gain in the same period of 2019.

Internet access and data services have grown rapidly in terms of business revenue, the ministry said. Income from web access jumped 12.2 percent to CNY7.2 billion (USD1 billion), while data revenue rose 8.9 percent to CNY3.5 billion.

The number of mobile apps fell 10,000 to 3.51 million at the end of March from February. But the number of gaming apps reached 879,000, an increase of 42,000 from the end of February, accounting for 25 percent of the total.

Editor: Peter Thomas