Real estate prices continue to pick up

New home prices in China continued their upward momentum in December, although the recovery remains uneven across the country, even within first-tier cities.

Month-on-month increases were recorded in 39 of the 70 cities measured, up from 33 in November, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Monday.

On a year-on-year basis, prices in the 70 cities rose an average of 7.7 percent in December from a year earlier, quickening from November's 6.5 percent rise, the bureau said. However, 49 cities saw a decline in prices compared with a year ago.