China's private equity (PE) funds totaled 12.8 trillion yuan (about 1.8 trillion U.S. dollars) at the end of September, data released by the industry association showed.

The figure was up 5.13 billion yuan, or 0.04 percent from a month earlier. The number of PE funds dipped 364 to 74,337 at the end of September, according to the Asset Management Association of China (AMAC).

The association took in 64 new members in September, with total registered PE funds managers reaching 24,255.

Data showed that the number of people employed in the PE industry increased 142 to over 246,000, up 0.06 percent from the previous month.

Established in 2012, AMAC is a self-regulatory organization that represents the mutual fund industry of China.