(Yicai Global) Jan. 8 -- New car registrations in China declined last year amid dropping sales.

The number of newly registered automobiles fell by almost 6 percent to 24.2 million from a year ago, the public security ministry announced today. However, new energy vehicle sales have been tallying over one million for three straight years, it added.

In the first 11 months of 2020, car sales fell 2.9 percent to 22.5 million units amid the Covid-19 pandemic, based on the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers's data.

In 2020, registrations of all motorized vehicles rose by 3.6 percent to 33.3 million.

China had 372 million motorized vehicles as of Dec. 31, 2020. Some three-quarters of that consisted of cars and almost 2 percent of the total was NEVs. The country had 456 million holders of driver's licenses.

Editor: Emmi Laine