BEIJING — China's output of natural gas increased by 8.2 percent year-on-year in 2021, official data showed.

Last year, the country's total natural gas output reached 205.3 billion cubic meters, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics.

In December alone, natural gas output grew 2.3 percent year-on-year to 19.2 billion cubic meters.

The country had imported more natural gas in 2021, which went up 19.9 percent from a year earlier to 121.36 million tons, the data showed.