LHASA, March 15 -- Retail sales of consumer goods in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region achieved a year-on-year increase of 21.1 percent in 2023, ranking first in China, local authorities said at a press conference on Friday.

The total retail sales reached 87.98 billion yuan (about 12.4 billion U.S. dollars) last year, hitting a record high, said the regional department of commerce.

In 2023, the rural retail sales in Xizang totaled 16.31 billion yuan, up 28.8 percent year on year. The region's online retail sales stood at 17.31 billion yuan, up 89.7 percent year on year, the department said.

Last year, Xizang rolled out measures to expand consumption in the fields including household and catering, and to facilitate e-commerce.

The region's total retail sales are expected to increase by 10 percent in 2024, said Shi Chenghua, deputy director of the department.