Non-performing loans (NPL) of commercial banks in China dropped to 504.5 billion yuan at the end of September, which was 55.8 billion yuan less than the number at the beginning of this year, China's banking regulator said on Thursday.

The NPL ratio fell by 0.76 percentage points, compared with data reported at the beginning of 2009, to 1.66 percent.

(Xinhua News Agency October 30, 2009)