BEIJING — China's furniture sector registered steady growth in the first half (H1) of the year, data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology showed.

During the period, the industry's operating revenue increased 29.4 percent year-on-year to 364 billion yuan (about $56.3 billion), according to the ministry.

The combined profits reached 17 billion yuan during the period, up 27.9 percent from a year earlier, the ministry said.

In the first six months, a total of 521.9 million items of furniture were produced, up 30.1 percent year-on-year, according to the data.