BEIJING — China’s courier sector experienced strong growth in the first quarter of 2019, official data showed.

The sector’s combined revenue stood at 154.3 billion yuan ($23 billion), up 21.4 percent year-on-year, according to data from the State Post Bureau (SPB).

A total of 12.15 billion parcels were handled during the period, up 22.5 percent from a year ago.

In March alone, 4.86 billion parcels were delivered, generating total revenue of 59.6 billion yuan, up 23 percent, the SPB said.

The surge was partly due to strong growth in China’s online consumption. In the first two months, online retail sales of consumer goods rose 13.6 percent, faster than the 8.2-percent increase in total retail sales.