China's poverty reduction story: A magnificent chapter in global development

THE story of China’s poverty reduction is a splendid epic etched into the land of China and a magnificent chapter in the cause of global development. Through arduous efforts, the Chinese people have fought and won the largest battle unprecedented in intensity and scale against poverty in human history, benefiting the largest number of people. With the success of poverty alleviation, we have achieved moderate prosperity, the millennia-old dream of the Chinese nation. China’s successful experience in poverty reduction has also boosted the confidence and hope of other developing countries, contributing China’s wisdom and strength for a prosperous and better future for the whole world.

- By Ambassador Qi Zhenhong

Chinese celebrate near People Square in Shanghai. China met the poverty reduction target of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule, boosting confidence for and laying the foundation of global poverty reduction

|. What miracles has China created in poverty reduction?

When the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949, the per capita national income was only $ 27, and the majority of the Chinese population lived in extreme poverty. In 1978, there were 770 million people living below the poverty line in rural areas, and the incidence of poverty was as high as 97.5%. It was rare in the world to see such a large population plagued by deep poverty. Over the past 76 years, the Chinese Government has given top priority to poverty alleviation and led the Chinese people in making unremitting efforts to reach this goal. By the end of 2020, a total of 832 impoverished counties and 98.99 million poor rural residents living under the current poverty line had been lifted out of poverty, and all 128,000 impoverished villages had been removed from the poverty list. We have, once and for all, resolved the problem of absolute poverty in China, which is a remarkable success that has greatly impressed the world.

When China started the battle against poverty in late 2012, the poverty incidence rate was 10.2%. Nearly 100 million underprivileged people lived primarily in deeply impoverished areas. In just 8 years, China broke down the “strongholds of poverty” by enabling all the impoverished people to rise from poverty. On average, more than 12 million people were lifted out of poverty each year, equivalent to the population of a medium-sized country. This means that roughly 1 million people each month, or 1 person every 3 seconds, were lifted out of extreme poverty. The per capita GDP rose from $ 6,300 to $ 13,800, with an average annual growth rate of 8.1%.