BEIJING — China saw faster growth in its natural gas output in the first quarter (Q1) of the year, according to official data.

The country's natural gas output rose by 13.1 percent year-on-year to 53.3 billion cubic meters during the period, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed.

Compared with the 2019 level, the figure rose 23.4 percent, putting average Q1 growth for 2020 and 2021 at 11.1 percent.

In March alone, China's natural gas output came in at 18.5 billion cubic meters, up 12.1 percent year-on-year, and the average daily production came in at 600 million cubic meters.

The country's natural gas imports in Q1 surged 19.6 percent year-on-year to 29.39 million metric tons, according to the NBS.