BEIJING - China's welfare lottery sales topped 201.5 billion yuan ($30.6 billion) last year, a year-on-year decrease of 2 percent, new official data has showed.

South China's Guangdong province remains the top seller with total sales surpassing 20 billion yuan, and more than half of the country's provincial-level regions saw increased annual sales, according to a statement released late on Friday by the welfare lottery distribution and management center.

Welfare funds obtained via sales amounted to 56.4 billion yuan last year, down from the 57 billion yuan in 2014.

Chinese regulations stipulate that half of the welfare proceeds go to state finance to be mainly used to supplement social security funds and special aid projects. The other half supports the elderly, the disabled, orphans and other people in need via local governments.