China's retail sales rose 8.5% in July, less than expected at 11.5%, according to analysts polled by Reuters.
Chinese retail sales rose 12.5% in June.
Car-related sales, the largest component of retail sales by value, were the only category to decline in July, down 1.8% year-on-year.< /p>
Industrial production grew 6.4%, also missing expectations for a 7.8% year-on-year increase in July, according to a Reuters poll.
Investment in fixed assets for the first seven months of the year rose 10.3%, without forecasting annual growth of 11.3% in the January-July period, according to Reuters.< /p>
The National Bureau of Statistics pointed to the impact of multiple factors including increasing external uncertainties, the coronavirus pandemic and the flood situation, according to a statement.
The bureau added that the economic recovery remains unstable and uneven.
