(Yicai) Oct. 30 -- Chinese residents splurged almost one-third of their total consumer spending on food, tobacco, and liquor last year, according to data compiled by Yicai.

China’s per capita consumption spending stood at CNY29,476 (USD4,426) in 2025, Yicai calculated based on data from the China Statistical Yearbook 2026. Among that, CNY8,631 (USD1,296) was spent on food, tobacco, and liquor, up 2.6 percent from 2024 and accounting for over 29 percent of the total.

Eight provincial-level regions -- Shanghai, Zhejiang province, Guangdong province, Fujian province, Jiangsu province, Tianjin, Beijing, and Hainan province -- had per capita spending on food, tobacco, and liquor above CNY10,000.

Meanwhile, 12 provincial-level regions -- Hainan, Xizang Autonomous Region, Anhui province, Guangdong, Fujian, Sichuan province, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Chongqing, Jiangxi province, Yunnan province, Guangxi province, and Qinghai province -- had food, tobacco, and liquor spending exceeding 30 percent of the total. Hainan ranked first at 37 percent, and Guangdong ranked fourth at 32 percent.

Overall, southern provinces spend somewhat more on food, thanks to warmer weather and a livelier nightlife.

China’s per capita spending on housing rose 2.1 percent to CNY6,397 last year from 2024, accounting for nearly 22 percent of the total per capita consumption expenditure, down from about 19 percent in 2020.

Beijing, Shanghai, Fujian, Jiangsu, Guangdong, and Zhejiang had the six highest shares of housing spending to the total consumption expenditure, and they are all in East China.

Transportation and communication took another big chunk of household consumption. China’s per capita spending on transportation and communication averaged CNY4,306 in 2025, up 8.3 percent from the year before and accounting for 15 percent of the total.

Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Qinghai had the highest percentages, as their sparse population and dispersed settlements raised related costs. Beijing and Shanghai had lower percentages of about 11 percent, as both cities have well-developed public transport, and their relatively high incomes allow more spending in other areas.

Per capita spending on healthcare rose 1 percent to CNY2,573 yuan in 2025 from the previous year, accounting for 8.7 percent of the total per capita consumption expenditure. Heilongjiang province had the highest share of over 13 percent. Northeast China, where the population is relatively older, has a higher share of healthcare spending.

Editor: Futura Costaglione