BEIJING — China's electricity consumption, a key barometer of economic activity, expanded 12.5 percent year-on-year in May as the country's economy continued to recover steadily, official data showed on June 15.

Total power use was 672.4 billion kWh last month, according to the National Energy Administration.

In May, power consumption by primary and secondary industries rose 13.9 percent and 11.5 percent from a year ago, respectively, while that used by tertiary industries surged 23.4 percent year-on-year.