People dine at a restaurant in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 1, 2023. (Xinhua/Ren Chao)

China's value-added service output went up 5.4 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2023, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed Tuesday.

The first-quarter growth rate accelerated by 3.1 percentage points from the pace recorded in the fourth quarter of last year, NBS data showed.

Contact-based service sector witnessed fast recovery, with the value-added output of catering and accommodation expanding 13.6 percent year on year.

The index gauging the country's service industry output rose 9.2 percent year on year in March, increasing by 3.7 percentage points from that in the Jan.-Feb. period.