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

During the period, the industry's operating revenue increased by 31.9 percent year-on-year to 293.15 billion yuan (about $45.3 billion), according to the ministry.

The combined profits reached 13.57 billion yuan during the period, up by 44.7 percent from a year earlier, the ministry said.

Between January and May, 426.75 million furniture items were produced, up by 32.7 percent year-on-year, the data indicated.