BEIJING - China's electricity consumption, an important indicator of economic activity, increased significantly in April, suggesting economic improvement, official data showed Friday.

Power use rose 6 percent year on year to 484.7 billion kilowatt-hours in April, according to data from the National Energy Administration.

In April, electricity use by primary industries dropped 1.1 percent year on year. Power consumption by secondary industries went up 5 percent, while tertiary industries saw a 12.7-percent rise amid economic restructuring.

In the first four months, power consumption rose 6.7 percent from the same period in 2016 to 1.93 trillion kWh, data showed.

Electricity use in the service sector rose 8.9 percent in the first four months, while the industrial and agricultural sectors saw increases of 6.9 percent and 6.7 percent, respectively, according to NEA.

The rates reflect positive changes in China's economic structure, as power use in the service sector grew faster than the industrial sector.