BEIJING, July 22 -- The Communist Party of China's (CPC) top anti-graft body said Friday that 26,900 officials had been punished for violating austerity rules in the first half of 2016.

Those punished in the first six months of the year were involved in 19,160 cases, the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said in a report posted on its website.

Awarding unauthorized bonuses was the most common misdemeanor, while misuse of public vehicles and sending or accepting gifts were the second- and third-most common, with these cases numbering 4,793, 3,449 and 3,370 respectively, the CCDI figures show.

Violations also included the use of public funds to finance travel and meals, and extravagant weddings and funerals.

The CPC released its eight-point rules on austerity in late 2012 to reduce pomp, ceremony, bureaucracy and other undesirable work practices.

In the first half of the year, four ministerial-level officials broke the rules, according to the CCDI.