BEIJING, Jan. 9-- Floods took less of a toll in China last year, with the flood-stricken population down by 30 percent and deaths down by 70 percent compared with the average in the past 22 years, China's top flood prevention headquarters said Thursday.

A total of 120 million people were affected by floods, with 774 people killed and 374 missing, causing direct losses of 314.6 billion yuan (51.48 billion U.S. dollars), according to the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

Regional floods in northeast China and the provinces of Sichuan and Guangdong caused heavy losses last year, with the combined missing people and deaths caused by floods in the latter two provinces accounting for 40 percent of the national toll.

Torrential floods caused by rainstorms were the main cause for the toll on human life, accounting for 72 percent of the total deaths, according to the headquarters.