LHASA, March 5 -- The volume of online retail sales in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region grew 61.1 percent year on year in 2021, the regional commerce department said.

 

Online retail sales totaled 18.97 billion yuan (nearly 3 billion U.S. dollars) last year, said the department. The growth rate ranks first in the country.

 

The official data shows the online retail sales of agricultural products reached 1.72 billion yuan. Characteristic health foods such as caterpillar fungus and Ganoderma Lucidum had high sales.

 

Live broadcasts have become a significant way of online retail in the region, contributing 2.95 billion yuan in sale volume.

 

Better networks and courier service coverage provided advantages for e-commerce expansion in the region. All 74 counties and districts in the region could enjoy the convenience of rural e-commerce, said a source with the department.

 

Tibet's gross domestic product (GDP) reached 208 billion yuan, an increase of 6.7 percent year on year in 2021, said the regional government.