China May retail sales up 15.2 pct yr/yr

Published: 11 Jun 2009 18:11:47 PST

BEIJING, June 12 - Annual growth in China's retail sales rose to 15.2 percent in May from 14.8 percent in April, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Friday.

The figures are nominal and so are not adjusted for inflation or deflation. Consumer prices fell 1.4 percent in May from a year earlier, after a drop of 1.5 percent in April.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected a rise of 14.9 percent. [ID:nPEK323349]

Retail sales rose 15.0 percent in the first five months of 2009.

Chinese retail sales (percent change on a year earlier): ________2009____________ _____________2008___________________ May Apr Mar Jan-Feb Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun 15.2 14.8 14.7 15.2 19.0 20.8 22.0 23.2 23.2 23.3 23.0