MACAO, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The broad money supply of China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) rebounded in May compared to April, while loans to the private sector declined, the SAR's monetary watchdog said on Monday.

According to statistics released by the Monetary Authority of Macao, currency in circulation and demand deposits grew 0.1 percent and 3.4 percent, respectively. M1, or the narrow money supply that includes currency, demand deposits, and other liquid deposits, including savings deposits, thus increased by 2.4 percent from the previous month.

Meanwhile, quasi-monetary liabilities rose 1.1 percent, and the sum of these two items, M2, rebounded 1.2 percent from a month ago to 815.7 billion patacas.

Resident deposits increased by 1.3 percent to 794.7 billion patacas, and non-resident deposits rose 0.4 percent to 351.0 billion patacas, the notice said.

Meanwhile, total loans to the private sector fell 4.6 percent from April to 993.7 billion patacas, which the monetary authority attributed to the 1.4 percent drop in domestic loans and the 7.6 percent drop in external loans. (1 pataca equals 0.12 U.S. dollar) ■