Housing prices in 70 of China's large and medium-sized cities rose 2.8 percent in September compared with the same month last year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Prices were up 0.7 percent from August, when they rose 2 percent from the same month in the previous year, the bureau announced Thursday.

Prices of new houses in September rose 2.7 percent from the same month last year, and 0.8 percent from August.