[Voiceover] People living in China's rural areas are spending their personal incomes increasingly on smart home appliances, new data shows. According to the National Bureau of Statistics rural residents' per capita consumption expenditure reached about 1,300 U.S. dollars in the first half of the year, representing a real increase of more than six percent. And they're buying things like robotic vacuum cleaners and remote-controlled curtains. In the rural parts of eastern China's Zhejiang Province, orders for smart home appliances increased by 40 percent year on year. Many of the region's "next generation" of homeowners are paying more attention to sustainability and smart devices for their upgrades. [Soundbite] Zhu Chengyan, villager, Yongsheng Village: "Smart home appliances are now a standard feature of our young people's home renovations. Based on the information on your phone, you can see how much electricity was used this night." [Voiceover] The national subsidies offered by the government for the purchase or trade-in of home appliances, also helps. [Soundbite] Zhu Chengyan, villager, Yongsheng Village: "There was a promotion on the robotic vacuum cleaner. Together with the state subsidy, I saved over 111 U.S dollars." [Voiceover] Another sector of the rural population, people aged 65 and above, are also driving sales of smart home appliances. According to data from the country's population census, the segment makes up about 18 percent of the total rural population and has been the impetus for the launch of several new quote "elderly-friendly" products in the first half of the year. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]