BEIJING, April 23 -- China's industrial capacity utilization rate came in at 74.3 percent in the first quarter (Q1) of 2023, down 1.5 percentage points from the same period a year earlier, official data showed.

The figure dropped by 1.4 percentage points from the previous quarter, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Among the three major sectors, the mining sector's utilization rate came in at 75.2 percent in Q1, dropping by 1.8 percentage points from the same period last year.

The utilization rate of the manufacturing sector and the production and supply of utilities stood at 74.5 percent and 71.9 percent, respectively.