China Sees Poverty-stricken Population Down to 42 Million
In the late 1970s, China's impoverished population accounted for one-fourth of the world's total; today, this proportion has dropped to one-10th.
The number of China's poor people had fallen from 250 million in 1978 to 42 million last year. Since 1986, China has carried out large-scale help-the-poor development work in a planned and organized way, which has resulted in marked improvement in the living condition of the impoverished population. Between 1986-98, input made by central and local governments as well as donations of money and materials from society increased. In addition, the state has helped solve the problem of getting enough food and clothing for the poverty-stricken population by organizing non-local efforts to support the poor and the method of cooperation between eastern and western regions.
At present, annual net income of China's impoverished people has gone up from 206 yuan in 1986 to well over 1,200 yuan. (April 21)
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