The air quality in North China's Hebei province last year reached a record good result since 2013, when a stricter evaluation system on the environment was put into force, according to the Department of Ecology and Environment of Hebei.

The average density of PM2.5 - inhalable particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less - was reduced from 108 micrograms per cubic meter in 2013 to 44.8 in 2020, the department said at a news conference on Wednesday morning.

For six consecutive months from April to September last year, the average concentration of PM2.5 reached the national Class II standard of air quality standards, which is 35 micrograms per cubic meter, it said.

The number of days with good air quality in 2020 reached 256, accounting for about 69.9 percent of the whole year, department statistics showed.

As a province supported by heavy industries in the past, Hebei used to be hit hard by heavy smog, especially during autumn and winter.

Since 2013, upgrading the industrial structure and cutting down air pollutants have become two of the province's key tasks, aiming to provide residents with clean air.