BEIJING: China produced 3.87 billion tonnes of raw coal in 2014, down 2.5 percent compared to the previous year, with output hit by slowing demand and a concerted effort to reduce supplies in an overstocked market.

The figure is in line with estimates issued by the China Coal Industry Association last month, and mark the first annual drop in coal production since the year 2000.

Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Thursday also showed that China's total primary energy production rose 0.5 percent in 2014 to 3.6 billion tonnes of standard coal equivalent.

Copyright Reuters, 2015