China's vehicle sales totaled 23.5 million units last year, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) told a press conference in Beijing.
In the month of December, vehicle sales grew 12.9 percent from a year earlier.
That compares with monthly growth of 2.3 percent in November and 2.8 percent in October.
A slowdown in China's auto market, hurt by a weak economy expanding near its slowest rate in 24 years, is straining relationship between global carmakers and Chinese dealers.