PBOC report shows improving financial literacy of Chinese consumers

Chinese consumers showed improving capabilities in understanding and utilizing financial skills and knowledge, China's central bank said in a report Wednesday.

An index measuring financial literacy averaged at 64.77, rising by 1.06 from 2017, according to a report released by the People's Bank of China (PBOC) based on a biennial survey on Chinese consumers' attitudes, behavior, knowledge and skills of various financial areas.

The importance of promoting financial knowledge and strengthening financial education on campuses was widely recognized, with nearly 90 percent of the respondents regarding financial education as something "very important" or "relatively important," the report said.

When facing questions of a financial nature, more than 60 percent of the respondents usually consult with professionals at financial institutions while about 50 percent would search for information online, according to the report.

The report also showed Chinese consumers' relatively high accuracy rate of more than 60 percent in answering questions about bank cards, savings and credit while knowledge about loans, investment and insurance still needs to be improved.