BEIJING, Jan. 9 -- A total of 21.7 million units of passenger cars were sold in 2023, up 5.6 percent year on year, data from the China Passenger Car Association showed on Tuesday.

In December 2023, China's retail sales of passenger cars reached 2.35 million units, an increase of 8.5 percent yearly, according to the data.

Exports of passenger vehicles soared 49 percent from a year ago to 385,000 units last month, with new energy vehicles accounting for 26.6 percent of the total, the association said.

Production of passenger vehicles topped 2.68 million units, up 26.6 percent year on year last December.