Beijing: An index tracking the development of China's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) edged up in January, data from an industry association showed Tuesday. The SME development index rose by 0.1 points to 89.0, compared to the previous month, the China Association of Small and Medium Enterprises data revealed.

According to Namibia Press Agency, six of the eight sub-indices showed growth in January, including market, labor, and investment. The sub-indices for various sectors such as industry, transport, real estate, wholesale and retail sales, social service, and information transmission software also saw an uptick, with increases of 0.1, 0.4, 0.2, 0.2, 0.5, and 0.3 points, respectively.

In terms of regional performance, the sub-indices for the east, west, and northeast regions experienced growth, standing at 89.7, 88.1, and 81.0, with increases of 0.1, 0.3, and 0.3 points, respectively. Meanwhile, the sub-index for the central region remained steady at 89.9, unchanged from the previous month.

In China, more than 90 percent of private companies are SMEs, and more than 90 percent of SMEs are private companies.