China had over 1.267 million UAVs by end of 2023

China's drone industry has witnessed robust development over the past years, with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used in more industries, official data showed.　

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has said that there were nearly 1.267 million registered UAVs across the country at the end of 2023, up 32.2 percent year on year. 194,000 people held drone pilot certificates.　

Civilian drones flew a total of 23.11 million hours in the country last year, an increase of 11.8 percent compared to 2022.　

(Reported by Liu Chao; Edited by Wang Xiaoting)