Chinanews, Beijing, Apr. 26 – The China Social Sciences Documentation Publishing House on Tuesday published the green paper on Chinese agricultural economy titled "Chinese Agricultural Economic Situation Analysis and Prediction for the Years 2006-2007". According to this report, in 2006 Chinese farmers' living standard in 2006 was only 53.2% that of the urbanites. Judging from the Engel's coefficient, it means that the life quality of Chinese farmers was at least 7 years behind that of city dwellers.

 

The report reaches its conclusion by conducting a sample survey among migrant farmers working in cities. The survey shows that in 2006, the average life quality index of Chinese migrant farmers in cities was 0.532, which means that generally speaking, the life quality level of migrant farmers working in cities was only 53.2% that of city dwellers.

 

The life quality index of migrant farmers was made by taking the life quality of city dwellers as reference. So the final figure was a relative figure, as the report shows.

 

Although Chinese farmers' net income increased most rapidly in 2006 over the past ten years, compared with the net income growth of urbanites, such increase was still very slow. It is expected that in 2007, the net income gap between farmers and urbanites will further widen, the report predicts.