Li Liguo, minister of civil affairs, talks to reporters at a press conference in Beijing, March 8, 2011. [Photo by Zhang Jiawei/chinadaily.com.cn]

China's expenditure on civil affairs in 2010 reached 223.23 billion yuan ($33.99 billion), 3.1 times as much as that of 2005, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said Tuesday.

The average annual increase rate is 25.4 percent, higher than that of the national fiscal revenue, figures released by the ministry at a press conference in Beijing show.

The figure accounts for 2.5 percent of China's 2010 national fiscal expenditure, compared with 2.2 percent in 2005.

In 2010, social donations received by civil affairs departments around the country reached 14.25 billion yuan ($2.17 billion), 3.6 times more than that of 2005, the ministry said.

Sales volume of welfare lotteries stood at 96.8 billion yuan ($14.73 billion) in 2010, up 135.4 percent over that of 2005, according to the ministry.