Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday that its global group sales rose 6 percent last year to 9.37 million vehicles, making for a tight race against General Motors, the world's biggest automaker.

Toyota's group companies sold 7.1 million vehicles overseas last year, a 10 percent jump from the previous year, offsetting a 4 percent decline in sales in Japan at 2.26 million vehicles, the automaker said in a statement.

GM has not yet given its annual sales tally but earlier estimated 2007 sales would come to 9.3 million vehicles.