About 81.7 billion yuan ($13.35 billion) in donations from domestic and overseas sources was made to China in 2012, down 3.31 percent year on year, according to the China Charity and Donation Information Center (CCDIC).

This marked the second consecutive year there had been a drop in donations, said the CCDIC in a charity report released on September 21.

Xu Jianzhong, an official with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, attributed the decline to the floundering global economy, less serious natural disasters and the lingering "public trust crisis" plaguing the country's charity sector.

The report, however, showed a number of charity organizations remained the primary force in raising donations despite a drop in the value of donations raised.

The CCDIC also reported a surge in online donations. It said that the Internet has become an increasingly popular way of making contributions.

The CCDIC is an organization sponsored by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and has researched charity donations, issuing annual reports since 2008.