BEIJING, Feb. 22 --  The rate of decline for China's household appliance exports by value narrowed by 7.55 percentage points in the second half of 2009 compared with the first half, said the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) Sunday.

Despite the narrowing rate of decline, the country's household appliance exports by value still dropped to $31.32 billion in 2009, down 13.27 percent year-on-year, the MIIT said in a statement posted on its website.

In specific, the declining rate for household water heater exports by value narrowed the most by 13.76 percent year-on-year, followed by air conditioner, refrigerator and washing machine exports, according to the statement.

The ministry attributed the narrowing rate of decline to the global economic recovery. The ministry did not say which overseas market was leading the rebound in demand.