BEIJING, May 21 -- China's natural gas output registered faster growth in April, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed.

The country produced 18.9 billion cubic meters of natural gas in the period, up 7 percent from a year earlier, according to the bureau. The growth rate was 3 percentage points higher than that of March.

The country imported 8.98 million tonnes of natural gas during the same period, up 11 percent year on year.

From January to April, China's natural gas output rose 4.8 percent year on year to 78.3 billion cubic meters.