The average Chinese citizen had 1.75 personal bank accounts at the end of 2008, the People's Bank of China (PBOC, the central bank) said in an on-line report Tuesday.

The report, reviewing the payment system in the fourth quarter, said there were 2.4 billion personal accounts as of Dec. 31, up 9.3 percent from a year earlier.

The growth rate was 0.4 percentage point less than the same period in 2007, the PBOC said.

"Residents in eastern regions where the economy is relatively developed have the most accounts," said the report. Beijing led with 7.33 accounts per person. That was followed by Shanghai and Fujian, with 5.89 accounts and 3.43 accounts each, respectively.

Chinese often keep separate accounts for specific purposes, such as an account specifically to save for large purchases.

(Xinhua News Agency March 17, 2009)