According to recent economic figures from the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics, the death toll, measured in deaths per 1 million tons of coal mined, was down to 0.374, a drop of 33.75% from 2011.
The news follows the death of seven miners last week when an illegal mine was flooded in northern China.
Government efforts to reduce hazardous mines have resulted in the closure of more than 9000 small coal mines since 2006.
In September 2012, Chinese authorities pledged to shut down 20,000 illegal and unsafe mines by 2015 following a string of deadly gas explosions and collapses.
The National Bureau of Statistics also confirmed that 2012 coal consumption grew 2.5% alongside a 20.2% increase in coal imports.
Mining investment lagged behind other sectors, with the agency estimating that fixed asset investment in mining was up 11.8%, below the average investment of 20.6% in other sectors.
