BEIJING, Feb. 20 -- The average monthly wage for China's 166 million migrant workers rose 13.9 percent last year, said the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security on Thursday.

Migrant workers, defined as those who have worked away from home for more than six months, earned an average of 2,609 yuan (429.2 U.S. dollars) per month, said the ministry.

China had a total of 269 million farmers working in non-agricultural sectors by the end of 2013, up 2.4 percent year on year, according to the ministry.