BEIJING - The number of automobiles registered in China topped 100 million in 2011, the country's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said Tuesday.

The Traffic Management Bureau under the MPS said that the number increased by more than 14.9 million in 2011, the first year that automobiles outnumbered motorcycles in China.

Having more than 4.7 million automobiles, Beijing tops the list of 14 Chinese cities that have more than 1 million.

Privately owned small and mini-sized automobiles account for 58 percent of China's total, or 61 million in number.

Motor vehicles, which include motorcycles and automobiles, have reached 225 million nationwide.

In the past five years, the number of drivers of motor vehicles in China has increased on average by 19.86 million annually. However, among the total of 230 million drivers, less than 19 percent are women.