Car sales in China continued to decline in November, extending a historic slump and all but ensuring a second straight annual drop for the world's biggest auto market.

Sales of sedans, sport utility vehicles, minivans and multipurpose vehicles fell 4.2 percent from a year earlier to 1.97 million units, the China Passenger Car Association said Monday.

The decline was the 17th in the past 18 months, with the only increase coming this June as dealers offered large discounts to clear inventory.