BEIJING — China's bicycle manufacturers reported robust output growth in 2020, partly buoyed by booming overseas demand, official data showed.

China's output of two-wheeled bikes jumped 24.3 percent year-on-year to 44.37 million units last year, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Electric bike production surged to 29.66 million units during the period, up 29.7 percent from a year ago.

In December alone, the country's output of two-wheeled bikes and electric bikes increased 29.3 percent and 6.5 percent year-on-year, respectively.

Demand for bikes boomed last year, as cycling became more popular worldwide amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as many people looked for an alternative to crowded buses and subways and tried to find another way to exercise.