BEIJING, April 30(Xinhua) -- China's gold consumption in the first quarter of the year dropped 48.2 percent year on year to 148.63 tonnes, industry data showed Tuesday.
Consumption of gold jewelry in the first quarter of this year stood at 92.04 tonnes, down 51.06 percent from the same period of last year, while purchase of gold bars and gold coins reached 37.67 tonnes, down 46.97 percent year on year, according to the China Gold Association.
Gold consumption for industrial and other uses dropped 32.04 percent to 18.92 tonnes.
Zhang Yongtao, vice president of China Gold Association, noted that the decline of gold jewelry and gold bars consumption was mainly attributable to the combined effect of the epidemic prevention and control work and the rise of gold prices.
China's gold output saw a year-on-year decrease of 10.93 percent to 82.63 tonnes in the period, the association said.
(Edited by Yang Yifan with Xinhua Silk Road, yangyifan@xinhua.org)
A single purchase
