BEIJING, Jan. 31 -- China's software industry reported a 29-percent revenue growth for 2008 from one year earlier, the Ministry of Industry and IT have announced.

Software technology services were the biggest driving factor, up 40 percent from 2007. And software products followed with a 17 percent rise.

An official with the ministry said high-tech industries had developed in a quick and stable manner in 2008 despite the global economic crisis.

Output from industry leading state-owned and privately-owned high-tech companies, with annual sales revenues of more than five million yuan, was up 14 percent from the previous year.

And production of high-end products such as laptops and LCD TV's also rose by more than 20 percent.

The software industry generated 580 billion yuan of revenue in 2007, up 21 percent year-on-year.