BEIJING, April 16 -- Chinese service consumption is likely to grow much faster than commodity consumption this year, according to research released on Thursday.

Growth in medical care and entertainment is expected to far outpace that of food and clothing in 2015, with rising demand for transportation and telecommunications, according to research by a Ministry of Commerce think tank.

Services account for about 20 percent of Chinese consumer spending. Retail sales have always grown faster than total national consumption during the past three decades, said Zhao Ping, a senior researcher with the think tank.

Chinese consumer retail sales, adjusted for inflation, grew 10.9 percent last year. Average service consumption growth has been around 11 percent for the past decade.

Consumption in smart wearable products, smart TVs, environmental- friendly products, international brands and cultural services are expected to be emerging areas this year.

The average per capita income of Chinese households continued to rise in the first quarter of the year, up 9.4 percent year on year to 6,087 yuan (992.90 U.S. dollars), recording 8.1 percent growth after inflation, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.