SHANGHAI saw a "better-than-expected" 6.7 percent economic growth year on year in the first half, driven by the fast developing services sector, the city's statistics bureau said yesterday.

The pace was on par with national growth during the same period and Shanghai's expansion in the first quarter.

The economic indicators showed that the city's economy has been better than expected with structural improvement, said Tang Huihao, chief economist at the Shanghai Statistics Bureau.