Sales of China's major excavator producers continued to increase in August, data from an industry association showed.

The country's 25 leading excavator makers sold a total of 13,843 excavators last month, up 19.5 percent year on year, according to data from the China Construction Machinery Association.

In breakdown, 11,566 excavators were sold in the domestic market, up 14.4 percent year on year. Meanwhile, exports of the equipment surged 53.6 percent to 2,277.

Major manufacturers sold a total of 163,396 excavators in the first eight months in this year, showing a 14.4-percent year-on-year growth. Over the period, excavator exports grew 37.9 percent from a year ago to 16,768.

Sales of digging machines are an indicator of the vitality of an economy as demand is usually backed by growth in mining and infrastructure development.

China sold a total of 203,420 excavators in 2018, surging 45 percent year on year, the association said.