BEIJING — China's furniture sector registered steady growth in the first quarter of the year, data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology shows.

During the period, the industry's operating revenue increased 39.9 percent year-on-year to 163.71 billion yuan (about $25.31 billion), according to the ministry.

The combined profits reached 6.73 billion yuan during the period, up 72.6 percent from a year earlier, the ministry said.

In the first quarter, a total of 245.68 million items of furniture were produced, up 40 percent year-on-year, according to the data.