BEIJING, Sept 12 - China's annual industrial output growth fell to a six-year low in August of 12.8 percent from 14.7 percent in July, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Friday.

The data confirmed the disclosure by a government researcher on Wednesday Forecasts of 19 economists polled by Reuters were for a rise of 14.5 percent.

Industrial production in the first eight months was up 15.7 percent from the same period last year.

The statistics office did not issue a statement with the figures, leaving it unclear to what extent output was affected by factory closures and transport curbs introduced to improve Beijing's air quality for the Olympic Games.

Excluding the months of January and February, when factory closures for the Lunar New Year make output statistics volatile, last month's growth rate was the slowest since August 2002.

RETAIL SALES

Annual growth in China's retail sales edged down to 23.2 percent in the year to August from a record 23.3 percent in the year to July, the statistics office said.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected a rise of 23.0 percent The government researcher had said the increase would be 23.2 percent.

The figures are nominal and so are not adjusted for inflation. Consumer prices rose 4.9 percent in the year to August, slowing from 6.3 percent in July.

Sales in the first eight months were up 21.9 percent from a year earlier.

(Percent change on a year earlier):

Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb-Jan Dec Nov Oct Ind output 12.8 14.7 16.0 16.0 15.7 17.8 15.4 17.4 17.3 17.9 Ret sales 23.2 23.3 23.0 21.6 22.0 21.5 20.2 20.2 18.8 18.1