BEIJING, Aug 16 (Reuters) - China's industrial output rose 6.4% in July from a year ago, well behind expectations, official data showed on Monday, amid signs of increasing pressure on China's economy.
Analysts in a Reuters poll had expected industrial output to rise 7.8% last month after an 8.3% uptick in June.
Retail sales grew by 8.5% in July from a year earlier, compared with a forecast 11.5% rise and sharply down from June's 12.1% surge.
Fixed asset investment rose 10.3% in the first seven months of the year from the same period a year earlier. Analysts in the poll had expected the fixed asset investment to rise 11.3% after a 12.6% increase in the first six months of the year.
China's economy has rebounded to its pre-pandemic growth levels, driven by surprisingly strong exports, but the expansion is losing steam as businesses grapple with higher raw material prices and global supply chain bottlenecks.