BEIJING — China's natural gas output posted slower growth in October, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed.

The output hit 14.6 billion cubic meters last month, up 8.2 percent year-on-year, 2.4 percentage points lower than that in September, according to the NBS.

In the first 10 months of the year, 142.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas were produced, up 9.3 percent year-on-year.

The country imported 6.52 million metric tons of natural gas in October, down 10.6 percent year-on-year. In the first 10 months, natural gas imports totaled 77.71 million tons, up 7.9 percent year-on-year.

The country's annual natural gas output is expected to increase by over 11 billion cubic meters this year, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.