Beijing ranks second in August in the country after Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, in terms of per capita urban consumer expenditure.

Information from the Beijing Municipal Statistics Bureau said that the per capita urban consumer expenditure in Beijing was 1,035.55 yuan (about 124.77 U.S.dollars) in August, 29.82 yuan (3.6 US dollars) lower than that of Guangzhou.

Beijing is followed by Shanghai and Tianjin, for per capita urban consumption expenditure.

Urban consumption expenditure per capita in Guangzhou, Shanghaiand Tianjin was 1,065.37 yuan (about 128.4 US dollars), 970.9 yuan (about 117 US dollars) and 693.96 yuan (about 83.6 US dollars), respectively.

Expenditure for apparel, telecommunications, health care, entertainment, educational and cultural services increased rapidly in Beijing in the past month.
 
(Xinhua News Agency September 29, 2003)