South Korea’s private consumption increased at the sharpest pace in seven years last year.

According to the Bank of Korea on Sunday, the country’s private consumption grew two-point-eight percent last year, the largest since 2011 when it posted two-point-nine percent.

It is the first time in 13 years that the figure posted larger than the country’s growth domestic product, which expanded two-point-seven percent last year.

The private consumption growth had remained below two percent for three straight years since 2012, but steadily recovered since to two-point-two percent in 2015 and two-point-six percent in 2017.

Experts says that the domestic consumption increase, in spite of the grim job conditions last year, is attributed to rises in wages and the government’s fiscal spending.