Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region has seen the per capita consumption expenditure of its residents surging over the past 10 years thanks to their rising income, authorities said Tuesday.

The per capita consumption expenditure of urban residents in the region reached 28,159 yuan (about $3,960) in 2021, with an annual growth of 10.8 percent on average over the past decade, while that of rural residents reached 10,577 yuan, with an average yearly increase of 15.2 percent over the past decade, Sonam Tashi, head of the regional statistics bureau, told a press conference.

In 2021, there were 38.9 private cars per 100 households in Tibet, 92 washing machines and more than 200 mobile phones, official data showed.

Moreover, the improvement in residents' living standards is evident from the lower Engel's Coefficient, which refers to the proportion of food, tobacco, and alcohol purchases in consumption expenditure.

The Engel's Coefficient in Tibet's urban area dropped from 49.3 percent in 2012 to 33.4 percent in 2021. In rural areas, the indicator in rural area also decreased from 53.4 percent in 2012 to 37.8 percent in 2021.

The rising consumption are expenditure primarily a result of residents' increasing incomes over the past decade.

The annual growth of per capita disposable income in Tibet ranks first among China's provincial-level regions, officials said at the press conference.

The per capita disposable income of urban residents reached 46,503 yuan in 2021, with an annual growth of 10.9 percent on average over the past decade. The income of rural residents was 16,935 yuan, with an average annual increase of 12.9 percent over the past decade, according to the press conference.

(With input from Xinhua)