In 2005, the amount each person spent in restaurants in China totaled 680 yuan (85 U.S. dollars), 118 times more than that of 1978, when the country began to implement reform and opening-up policies.

The catering industry has maintained a double-digit growth for the last 15 years, according to an announcement made by the Ministry of Commerce on Thursday.

Since 1991, China's per capita catering consumption has been growing at an average annual rate of 23.2 percent, the ministry said.

In 2005, on average each Chinese person spent 100 yuan more in restaurants than 2004, up 17 percent on the previous year.

The per capita catering consumption in Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, and the provinces of Guangdong, Zhejiang and Liaoning exceeded 1,000 yuan in 2005.

In Guangzhou City, capital of southern China's Guangdong Province, the per capita catering consumption reached 4,160 yuan, five times the national average.

Source: Xinhua