The Rural Poor in China Decreased by 13.86 Million in 2018

     There was a sharp decline in the rural impoverished population, a significant drop in poverty incidence and a higher growth margin of the rural resident incomes in poverty-stricken areas in 2018 as compared to the average level of the rural areas nationwide, according to the national rural poverty monitoring survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics.

   1. The number of people living in poverty in rural areas was reduced by 13.86 million in 2018

The national rural poverty monitoring survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics shows that the impoverished population in the rural areas amounted to 16.6 million at the end of 2018 according to the current national rural poverty standards, indicating 13.86 million less than that at the end of the previous year and a poverty incidence rate of 1.7%, down 1.4 percentage points from the previous year.

The rural poverty-stricken population in the eastern, central and western regions was reduced in 2018 in an all-around way. The number of the rural poor dropped to 1.47 million in the eastern region, 5.97 million in the central regions and 9.16 million in the western regions, respectively 1.53 million, 5.15 million and 7.18 million less than that in the previous year.

The poverty incidence rate in the rural areas dropped below 6% in 2018 if calculated in terms of province. There are 23 provinces with a poverty incidence rate equal to or less than 3%, including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Hainan, Chongqing, Sichuan, Qinghai, and Ningxia.

Since the Eighteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the number of rural poor people has decreased by 82.39 million. By the end of 2018, the poverty-stricken population in the countryside had decreased to 16.6 million from 98.99 million at the end of 2012, a total reduction of 82.39 million; the poverty incidence had dropped from 10.2% in 2012 to 1.7%, a total decrease of 8.5 percentage points.

     2. The per capita disposable income of rural residents in poverty-stricken areas continued a growth rate higher than the national average of the rural areas in 2018

In 2018, the per capita disposable income of rural residents in poverty-stricken areas grew by 10.6% in nominal terms to 10,371 yuan, 994 yuan more than that in the previous year. After the price factor was counted in, it registered a real increase of 8.3%, 1.7 percentage points higher than the national rural growth rate in fulfilling the annual target.

The per capita disposable income of rural residents in areas of extreme poverty grew at a rate 0.1 percentage point higher than that of rural residents in poverty-stricken areas and reached 9,668 yuan, 935 yuan more than that in the previous year, recording a nominal increase of 10.7% and 0.1 percentage point higher than that in poor areas. In particular, the per capita disposable income of residents in "three regions and three prefectures" grew by 10.6% to 9,796 yuan (an increase of 938 yuan over the previous year) at a rate same as that in poverty-stricken areas.

The per capita disposable income of rural residents in eight contiguous areas of extreme poverty registered a faster growth rate as compared to the previous year and added up to 10,260 yuan, an increase of 996 yuan over the previous year, recording a nominal increase of 10.7% and 1.9 percentage points higher than the national rural growth rate. And the per capita disposable income of rural residents in 14 contiguous poverty-stricken areas also increased faster than the national average of the rural growth. The eight areas with a growth rate higher than that in the previous year are Tibetan regions in four provinces, Yanshan-Taihang Mountains, mountainous areas at the southern foot of Daxing'an Mountains, Liupan Mountains, Dabie Mountains, Lyuliang Mountains, Wuling Mountains and Wumeng Mountains.

Wages and transfer incomes are the main sources of income growth for rural residents in poverty-stricken areas. In terms of income sources, the per capita wage income of rural residents grew by 13.0% to 3,627 yuan in 2018, recording an increase of 417 yuan over the previous year and a growth rate 3.9 percentage points higher as compared to the national average of the rural growth. Its contribution to the income growth of rural residents amounted to 42.0%, 4.0 percentage points up over the previous year. The per capita transfer income grew by 17.0% to 2,719 yuan, recording an increase of 394 yuan over the previous year and a growth rate 4.8 percentage points higher as compared to the national average of the rural increase. Its contribution to the income growth of rural residents amounted to 39.7%, 6.1 percentage points up over the previous year. The net operating income per capita grew by 4.4% to 3,888 yuan, an increase of 165 yuan over the previous year, and the net assets income per capita grew by 14.8% to 137 yuan, 18 yuan more than that in the previous year.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the income of rural residents in poverty-stricken areas has increased by 10.0% annually. From 2013 to 2018, the per capita disposable income of rural residents in poverty-stricken areas increased by 12.1% in nominal terms. After the price factor was counted in, it registered a real increase of 10.0% on annual average, 2.3 percentage points higher than the national average of the rural growth rates. In 2018, the per capita disposable income of rural residents in poverty-stricken areas amounted to 71.0% of the national average rural level, 8.9 percentage points higher than that in 2012, and the gap with the national average of rural income was further narrowed.