BEIJING - China's power consumption, a gauge of economic activity, climbed a faster pace at 8.8 percent in August, data showed Tuesday.

In breakdown, power consumption in primary industry and secondary industry rose 8.7 percent and 8.9 percent year-on-year respectively, both accelerating from that in July, according to the National Energy Administration.

However, service sector saw its power consumption rise 10.8 percent last month, compared with a rise of 11.2 percent in July.

For the first eight months of the year, the country's power consumption increased 9 percent from one year earlier, unchanged from that registered during the January-July period.