BEIJING - The environmental standards of motor vehicles in China have been greatly improved over the last five years, according to a report released by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

From 2013 to 2018, the pollutant emissions in China declined by 11.1 percent, while the number of motor vehicles soared by 32.7 percent, the report said.

China was the world's largest vehicle maker and vehicle market for 10 years in a row, as pollutants from motor vehicles became the main sources of air pollution.

Preliminary calculations from the ministry showed that the total amount of pollutants in 2018 was 40.65 million tons, of which automobiles were the main contributors.

Since 2013, the country has increased efforts on controlling vehicle pollution, including upgrading emission standards, developing new energy vehicles (NEV) and adjusting transport structure.

In 2018, the number of motor vehicles climbed 5.5 percent year-on-year to 327 million, among which NEVs rose by 70 percent from the same period a year earlier.