Pollution levels in many Chinese cities improved last year, as the quality of the overall environment remained "stable," according to a survey released by the Ministry of Environmental Protection on November 8.

Figures show that an average 66.7 percent of days surveyed in 655 cities last year saw fair and good levels of air quality. Water quality in 89.84 percent of urban groundwater areas reached acceptable standards, up 4.44 percentage points year on year.

Also, more than 63 percent of domestic sewage in urban areas was properly disposed of last year, up 8.03 percentage points year on year. Further, some 72 percent of urban garbage was treated, up 1.04 percentage points.

However, the survey also noted 14 cities where pollution levels left much to be desired.

These cities include Taiyuan, capital of north China's coal-rich Shanxi Province, due to its poor water quality, and Urumqi, capital of northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, noted for only having "slight" improvements in traffic noise pollution.