BEIJING — China's electricity consumption, a key barometer of economic activity, rose 4.4 percent year-on-year in the first nine months of 2019, according to data from the National Energy Administration.

Total power use hit 5.34 trillion kWh during the first three quarters.

Specifically, power use by the first and the secondary industries rose 4.7 percent and 3 percent, respectively, and that by the tertiary industry jumped 8.7 percent.

Residential power consumption went up 6.3 percent year-on-year during the period.

In September alone, the country's power use grew 4.4 percent year-on-year to 602 billion kWh.