BEIJING — The output of China's building materials sector expanded steadily last year, official data showed.

The value-added output of the sector gained 8.5 percent year-on-year, 2.8 percentage points higher than the average for all industrial sectors nationwide, according to data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Major building materials all posted an increase in their output. The output of cement and flat glass registered a year-on-year growth of 6.1 percent and 6.6 percent, respectively.

Prices of building materials rose 3.3 percent year-on-year in 2019. In December, prices of cement and flat glass increased 4.4 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively, year-on-year.

The sector's profits climbed 7.2 percent from a year earlier to 462.4 billion yuan ($66.2 billion) last year.