China's industrial profits fell at their fastest pace in more than a year in November, as economic planners struggled with overcapacity and weak consumer confidence, reports London's Financial Times.

The National Bureau of Statistics said profits at companies with annual revenues above CNY20 million (US$2.8 million) dropped 13.1 per cent compared with a year earlier. That was a sharper fall than October's 5.5 per cent decline.

The slump reduced year-to-date profit growth to 0.1 per cent, down from 1.9 per cent in the January-to-October period.

China's economy has been unable to find new drivers of growth following the collapse of the debt-fuelled property sector, which is now in its fifth year of crisis.