BEIJING — China saw a steady increase in its natural gas output in the first quarter of the year, official data showed.

The country's natural gas output totaled 56.9 billion cubic meters during the first three months, up 6.6 percent from a year ago, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

In March alone, China reported 19.7 billion cubic meters of natural gas production, up 6.3 percent year-on-year.

During the first quarter, China imported a total of 27.82 million tons of natural gas, down 5.1 percent year-on-year, the bureau said.