China's social security fund has announced investment profits of 31.94 billion yuan (4.7 billion US dollars) last year, with the annual investment yield standing at 1.73 percent.

The annual report released by the National Council for Social Security Fund said that last year's investment performance was "stable", despite downward economic pressure.

Since the council's formation in 2000, its investment profits have totaled 822.731 billion yuan, with an average annual investment yield of 8.37 percent.

China's social security card. /VCG Photo‍

By the end of 2016, the fund's managed assets totaled 2 trillion yuan

The fund was designed to aid the country's aging population and be a strategic reserve to support future social security expenditure.

Funding sources include fiscal allocation from the central government, allocation of proceeds from the public welfare lottery, individual contributions and capital raised by other methods approved by the State Council.

The investment scope of the fund ranges from bank deposit, national bonds, securities investment funds, stocks market and corporate bonds. 

China's State Council has been pushing for broader investment channels in order to disperse risks and increase the fund's investment returns.