Pupils at Qamdo Municipal Experimental Primary School in Qamdo, Tibet autonomous region. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Tibet autonomous region's statistics bureau announced the region's GDP reached 115.62 billion yuan ($16 billion) with a growth rate of 8.7 percent, making it China's second fastest-growing region, China Tibet News reported.

Added value from the region's farming, forestry, livestock, and fishery industries recorded a combined growth rate of 3.8 percent, 1.5 percentage points higher than last year, according to the bureau.

Added value from the region's industrial economy hit more than 7.57 billion yuan, with a growth rate of 7.9 percent.

The tertiary industry registered an added value of 60.48 billion yuan, with a growth rate of 7.7 percent, 4.4 percentage points higher than a year previous.

The region's total retail sales of consumer goods registered growth of 6.8 percent, while local fiscal expenditure grew 7.5 percent.

Dorje Dradul, deputy head of the bureau, said the figures are a reflection of the region's improvements in public services, resident incomes, employment, consumption, and economic vitality.