Actual value and historical data chart for China Poverty Headcount Ratio At National Poverty Line Percent Of Population

In 2024, the average annual per capita disposable income of rural households in China was approximately ****** yuan, roughly ** percent of the income of urban households. Although living standards in China’s rural areas have improved significantly over the past 20 years, the income gap between rural and urban households is still large. Income increase of China’s households From 2000 to 2020, disposable income per capita in China increased by around *** percent. The fast-growing economy has inevitably led to the rapid income increase. Furthermore, inflation has been maintained at a lower rate in recent years compared to other countries. While the number of millionaires in China has increased, many of its population are still living in humble conditions. Consequently, the significant wealth gap between China’s rich and poor has become a social problem across the country. However, in recent years rural areas have been catching up and disposable income has been growing faster than in the cities. This development is also reflected in the Gini coefficient for China, which has decreased since 2008. Urbanization in China The urban population in China surpassed its rural population for the first time in 2011. In fact, the share of the population residing in urban areas is continuing to increase. This is not surprising considering remote, rural areas are among the poorest areas in China. Currently, poverty alleviation has been prioritized by the Chinese government. The measures that the government has taken are related to relocation and job placement. With the transformation and expansion of cities to accommodate the influx of city dwellers, neighboring rural areas are required for the development of infrastructure. Accordingly, land acquisition by the government has resulted in monetary gain by some rural households.

China Social Assistance: Number of Urban and Rural Poverty-stricken People data was reported at 4,788.000 Unit th in Mar 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4,797.000 Unit th for Dec 2024. China Social Assistance: Number of Urban and Rural Poverty-stricken People data is updated quarterly, averaging 4,673.000 Unit th from Sep 2017 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 31 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4,797.000 Unit th in Dec 2024 and a record low of 4,374.000 Unit th in Mar 2020. China Social Assistance: Number of Urban and Rural Poverty-stricken People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Civil Affairs. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GH: Civil Affairs Statistics.

In 2024, the gross domestic product (GDP) of China amounted to around 18.7 trillion U.S. dollars. In comparison to the GDP of the other BRIC countries India, Russia and Brazil, China came first that year and second in the world GDP ranking. The stagnation of China's GDP in U.S. dollar terms in 2022 and 2023 was mainly due to the appreciation of the U.S. dollar. China's real GDP growth was 5.4 percent in 2023 and 5.0 percent in 2024. In 2024, per capita GDP in China reached around 13,300 U.S. dollars. Economic performance in China Gross domestic product (GDP) is a primary economic indicator. It measures the total value of all goods and services produced in an economy over a certain time period. China's economy used to grow quickly in the past, but the growth rate of China’s real GDP gradually slowed down in recent years, and year-on-year GDP growth is forecasted to range at only around four percent in the years after 2024. Since 2010, China has been the world’s second-largest economy, surpassing Japan.China’s emergence in the world’s economy has a lot to do with its status as the ‘world’s factory’. Since 2013, China is the largest export country in the world. Some argue that it is partly due to the undervalued Chinese currency. The Big Mac Index, a simplified and informal way to measure the purchasing power parity between different currencies, indicates that the Chinese currency yuan was roughly undervalued by 38 percent in 2024. GDP development Although the impressive economic development in China has led millions of people out of poverty, China is still not in the league of industrialized countries on the per capita basis. To name one example, the U.S. per capita economic output was more than six times as large as in China in 2024. Meanwhile, the Chinese society faces increased income disparities. The Gini coefficient of China, a widely used indicator of economic inequality, has been larger than 0.45 over the last decade, whereas 0.40 is the warning level for social unrest.

Regional gross domestic product (GDP) in China varies tremendously across the country. In 2024, the GDP of Guangdong province amounted to around **** trillion yuan, whereas that of Tibet only reached about ***** billion yuan. While Guangdong has a thriving economy and is densely populated, Tibet is located in a remote mountain area and has a population of only around *** million people. Regional economic differences in China China can generally be divided into four different economic macro-regions: the economically well-developed coastal parts in Eastern China, the less-developed Central and Northeastern China, and the developing region of Western China. This division is reflected in the figures for regional per capita GDP. The coastal parts of China are not only economically more advanced, but also have a considerably higher population density. This is the result of climatic conditions on the one hand and China's firm integration into the global economy on the other. International companies were initially attracted by special economic zones set up in coastal areas during China's market opening, and well-connected, highly developed urban areas of Eastern China are still favored by international businesses. Prospects for future development The Chinese government has long since been aware of the economic disparities in the country and the political unrest they might stir. Major efforts have been made to improve the conditions in less developed regions. The situation in Central and Western China has improved considerably in the last two decades, and rural poverty decreased on a striking scale. In recent years, growth rates in the west of China have even been higher than in coastal areas. However, the constraints of the global economy remain, and it is very likely that Eastern China will stay ahead in international markets in the foreseeable future.