China's consumption of standard coal was 1.10 tons per 10,000 yuan ($1,500) of gross domestic product last year, down from 3.39 tons in 1980, the National Bureau of Statistics said Sunday in a statement.

The progress was a result of China's efforts to cut emissions and develop low-carbon economy, the NBS said.

Since the 1980s, especially during the past few years, China had raised energy efficiency by eliminating high energy-consuming equipment and introducing energy-saving technologies, it said.

The energy consumption per 10,000 yuan of GDP was down 1.79 percent year on year in 2006, 4.04 percent in 2007, and 4.59 percent in 2008, according to NBS.

China has set a target to cut energy consumption for every 10,000 yuan of GDP by 20 percent from 2006 to 2010 in its 11th national development plan.

Statistics of the NBS showed China's national economy grew by 9.8 percent annually during the past 30 years, with its energy consumption up 5.2 percent annually for the same period.