Peru's output of gold, zinc and silver rose in May, while production of copper declined, the Energy and Mines Ministry said Wednesday.

Mineral production has become a motor of the Andean nation's economic growth, with a number of new mines opening in recent years.

The government said that gold output totaled 18,051 kilograms in May, up 26.9% compared with the same month a year before.

Silver production in May was 294,755 kilograms, an increase of 19.3% from the same period a year before.

Zinc production was 101,771 tons in May, up 0.4% from the same month a year earlier.

Meanwhile, copper production fell 2.1% to 81,520 tons in May from the same month a year before.

Among some of the other minerals, the government said that molybdenum output rose 5.3% to 1,387 tons in May.

Lead production was 25,217 tons in May, a decline of 0.4% from the same month in the previous year.

Tin output was 3,316 tons in May, down 10.5% from the same month in the previous year.

Iron output totaled 432,969 tons in May, a 20.4% increase from the same month in the previous year, the government said.