BEIJING - China's express delivery sector has grown steadily in 2015 despite a slowing economy, data showed on Monday.

In 2015, businesses made 20.65 billion deliveries, 48 percent up from 2014, according to the State Post Bureau (SPB).

The total revenue of the courier market hit 276 billion yuan ($42.44 billion) in 2015, up 35 percent year on year, the SPB data showed.

Over the past five years, the amount of express packages and the business revenue have increased 7.8 times and 3.8 times respectively.

Courier services had delivered to 70 percent of Chinese towns and villages by the end of 2015. The country plans to build an efficient and safe delivery system with nationwide coverage, advanced technology and services and international connections by 2020.