BEIJING, April 18 -- China's economy has sustained recovery momentum in the first quarter (Q1), with major economic indicators showing further signs of improvement.

Here are some data highlights released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday:

-- China's gross domestic product expanded 4.5 percent year on year in Q1, picking up pace from the 2.9 percent year-on-year growth in the fourth quarter of last year.

On a quarterly basis, the economy increased by 2.2 percent in the first three months.

-- Production accelerated across sectors, with value-added industrial output, an important economic indicator, rising 3 percent year on year in Q1, up 0.3 percentage points from the level in the fourth quarter of 2022.

In March alone, the industrial output increased by 3.9 percent year on year.

-- China's value-added service output went up 5.4 percent year on year in Q1. The growth rate accelerated by 3.1 percentage points from the pace recorded in the fourth quarter of last year.

-- Domestic consumption kept warming up, with the retail sales of consumer goods going up 5.8 percent year on year in Q1, totaling around 11.49 trillion yuan (about 1.67 trillion U.S. dollars).

Retail sales in urban and rural areas expanded 5.7 percent and 6.2 percent year on year, respectively.

In March alone, retail sales jumped 10.6 percent year on year.

-- Fixed-asset investment saw steady growth in Q1, jumping 5.1 percent from a year earlier to 10.73 trillion yuan.

Investment into the high-tech manufacturing and high-tech services sectors sustained strong growth momentum, surging 15.2 percent and 17.8 percent year on year, respectively.

-- People's livelihood kept improving, with per capita disposable income in nominal terms rising 5.1 percent year on year to 10,870 yuan in Q1.

-- Employment has perked up, with the surveyed urban unemployment rate standing at 5.3 percent in March, down 0.3 percentage points from February.