Seven provinces reached their pollution reduction goals months ahead of schedule, a new report said on Wednesday. The targets set for 2017 were met in 2016, it said.

All major pollutant levels have fallen as a result of efforts to combat smog, as indicated by monitoring data released by governments and environmental bureaus nationwide, according to the Innovation Center for Clean-Air Solutions, an environmental NGO based in Beijing.

The report focused largely on levels of PM10 and PM2.5 - fine, hazardous particulate matter - which are used as major indexes for air quality in China.