BEIJING — China's courier sector saw its operating income exceed 1 trillion yuan (about $147.3 billion) for the first time in 2021, official data showed.

The operating income of the industry stood at 1.03 trillion yuan last year, rising 17.5 percent from 2020, according to a report by the State Post Bureau.

A total of 108.3 billion parcels were handled by the country's express delivery companies, up 29.9 percent year-on-year, data from the report showed.

China's courier sector sustained rapid growth momentum last year despite the COVID-19 epidemic, with its market continuing to expand, the bureau said.

According to the report, the China express delivery development index stood at 1,571.5 last year, up 24.8 percent year-on-year.

The sub-indices for development scale, service quality and development popularity rose 27.5 percent, 0.4 percent and 14.1 percent from a year earlier, respectively.

Compiled on the basis of data from major logistics firms' operating delivery services, the development index reflects the overall business activities and trends in the country's courier sector.