China's property investment falls 13.9% y/y in January-September

BEIJING, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Property investment in China fell 13.9% in the first three quarters from the same period last year, after dropping 12.9% in the January-to-August period, official data showed on Monday.

A prolonged property crisis has weighed heavily on growth and consumer confidence in the world's second-largest economy, already struggling with U.S. trade pressures.

Property sales by floor area dropped 5.5% year-on-year, compared with a 4.7% decline in the first eight months.

New construction starts measured by floor area declined 18.9% year-on-year, after diving 19.5% in January-August.

Funds raised by property developers in the first nine months were down 8.4%, versus an 8.0% drop in the first eight months.