BEIJING, Jan. 18 -- China's catering industry registered robust recovery in 2023, with its total revenue nearing 5.29 trillion yuan (about 743 billion U.S. dollars) for the first time, official data shows.

The figure hit a record high last year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

In 2023, the catering industry led to about 2 trillion yuan of operating revenue growth in the sectors of agricultural and sideline products, as well as food processing, according to the calculation from the China Hospitality Association.

Among nearly 15.73 million catering enterprises across the country, more than 4.1 million were newly registered last year, with private firms accounting for over 80 percent, industry data shows.