BEIJING - Sales of passenger cars in China last month declined from a year ago, an industry association said Tuesday.

Retail sales of passenger vehicles, including sedans, sport-utility vehicles, and multipurpose vehicles, dropped 6.2 percent year-on-year to 1.5 million units in July, data by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) showed.

However, the sales were 1 percent higher compared with the same period in 2019, said the CPCA.

On a monthly basis, the sales decreased by 4.9 percent, the association said.

Passenger vehicle sales in the first seven months stood at around 11.45 million units, a 22.9-percent rise year-on-year.

The robust year-on-year growth for the January-July period was due to the low base last year when passenger car retail sales dropped 19 percent during the period.

New energy vehicle sales also contributed to the high growth, the CPCA added.

Luxury car sales fell 18 percent year-on-year in July to 200,000 units. Compared with the same month in 2019, it rose 7 percent, reflecting robust demand amid China's consumption upgrades, the association added.