BEIJING (REUTERS) - China's economy grew by around 7 per cent in 2015, with the services sector accounting for half of gross domestic product (GDP), Premier Li Keqiang said on Saturday (Jan 16).

The premier also said that employment had expanded more than expected and that consumption contributed nearly 60 per cent of economic growth.

Li made the remarks at the opening ceremony for the China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in Beijing.

China's fourth-quarter and full-year 2015 GDP figures are expected to be released on Jan 19.

Analysts polled by Reuters have forecast 2015 growth cooled to 6.9 per cent, down from 7.3 per cent in 2014 and the slowest pace in a quarter of a century.