HANOI, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's national index of industrial production advanced 10.9 percent on-year in the first seven months of this year, according to the country's General Statistics Office on Monday.

Main driver of the surge, the processing and manufacturing sector, went up 13.1 percent, contributing 9.9 percentage points to the overall growth.

Electricity production and distribution sector grew 10.7 percent, contributing 1 percentage point, and water supply and waste management grew 6.6 percent, contributing 0.1 percentage points.

Over the seven-month period, raw steel and iron witnessed the largest output expansion of 41.1 percent, followed by passenger vehicles (up 32.9 percent), liquefied petroleum gas (32.7 percent), synthetic cloth (up 19.1 percent) and television sets (14 percent).

Meanwhile, outputs of crude oil went down 11.3 percent, urea fertilizer down 3.5 percent, and shower gel and facial cleanser down 2.8 percent.

Central Ha Tinh province posted the highest industrial production growth of 149.3 percent in the first seven months this year, tailed by central Thanh Hoa province (up 28 percent), northern Hai Phong city (up 24.2 percent) and northern Bac Ninh province (up 19.5 percent).

Vietnam's industrial production index in 2017 advanced 9.4 percent against 2016, said the office.