China's retail sales of consumer goods grew 9 percent year on year in August, official data showed Friday.

The growth slightly expanded from the 8.8-percent rise seen in July, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

In August, retail sales reached 3.15 trillion yuan (about 460 billion U.S. dollars), leading to a 9.3-percent growth in the January-August period that is flat with the rate registered in the first seven months.

Retail sales in rural areas increased 10.2 percent year on year last month, continuing to outpace growth in urban regions, where sales rose 8.8 percent, according to the NBS.

In breakdown, the catering sector reported a 9.7-percent year-on-year rise in revenue in August, while sales of other consumer products increased by 8.9 percent.

Online spending remained robust, with sales surging 28.2 percent to reach 5.51 trillion yuan in the first eight months, NBS data showed.