BEIJING -- More cities reported a slowdown in year-on-year increases in property prices in September as a result of government's tightening efforts to cool the market, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

In September, 59 cities out of the statistical pool of 70 major cities saw new home prices increase more slowly from a year earlier, compared with 40 cities in August, the NBS said in a report on its website.

For month-on-month changes, 17 cities saw declines in new home prices in September, up from 16 in August. Meanwhile, prices in 29 cities remained unchanged, the report said.

"The rapid growth in property prices has been markedly contained. Government's control efforts have achieved positive results as prices in some cities begin to retreat," NBS spokesman Sheng Laiyun said in a press release.

As for resold housing units, 46 cities reported second-hand home prices declined or stayed unchanged month-on-month in September, up from 43 in August, the report added.