In 2019, per capita sports consumption among Shandong residents was 2,049.8 yuan ($317.31), accounting for 6.49 percent of per capita disposable income, according to a sports consumption report released by the Shandong Sports Industry Service Center on Aug 27.

This marked the first sports consumption survey in Shandong, and it shows that the sports industry in the province is growing fast.

Kids attend a swimming class in Qingzhou, East China's Shandong province, on Aug 6. [Photo/VCG]

The province has launched a series of favorable policies to promote the development of the province's sports industry in hopes of becoming a sporting powerhouse.

The total output and added value of the province's sports industry have increased from 198.02 billion yuan and 60.67 billion yuan in 2015 to 246.66 billion yuan and 96.86 billion yuan in 2018, respectively.

The sports consumption structure is also being optimized in Shandong. Sporting goods consumption, sports tourism consumption, fitness and leisure consumption, sports lottery consumption, and sports education and training consumption ranked in the top five in per capita sports consumption expenditures.

Young and middle-aged people are the main force behind sports consumption in the province. Among all surveyed groups, residents aged 20-25 have the highest annual sports consumption at 2,545 yuan.

Qingdao has the highest sports consumption expenditure level in Shandong province, hitting 2,878.94 yuan, while Liaocheng has the lowest level of expenditure at 1,785.2 yuan.

The five most popular sports in Shandong are long-distance running (or brisk walking), square dancing (or sports dancing), badminton, basketball, rope skipping, and shuttlecock kicking.