CHINA said yesterday that it was making major progress in its fight against poverty.

A new State Council report said rural residents in counties lifted out of poverty saw their per capita disposable income rise to 18,627 yuan (£2,052) in 2025, up from 12,588 yuan (£1,400) in 2020.

The report on consolidating poverty alleviation achievements and advancing rural vitalisation was delivered to the standing committee of the National People’s Congress, the country’s top legislature, which opened on Tuesday.

Delivered by Maierdan Mugaiti, vice-minister of the ministry of agriculture and rural affairs, the report details that rural counties have seen an average annual growth rate of 8.2 per cent.

According to the report, more than 60 per cent of central government funds earmarked to support rural vitalisation have been used for industrial development.

The report adds: “Nearly three-quarters of people lifted out of poverty have established mechanisms linking their interests with new types of agricultural businesses, helping them share in the benefits of industrial development.

“More than 130,000 rural craftspeople have been trained, while more than four million people lifted out of poverty have found work through public welfare positions.”

Despite the achievements of anti-poverty measures, the report cautioned that there was still a risk that people could fall back into poverty.

The report also warned of the growing depopulation of rural areas and of an ageing population. 

China will incorporate regular assistance into its rural vitalisation strategy, focusing on households at risk of falling back into poverty and less-developed areas after the transition period ends, the report said.

It added that the government will promote development-oriented assistance to strengthen local capacity for self-sustaining growth while improving social security systems to safeguard basic livelihoods.

The report called for “longer-term policy support, more standardised assistance measures and more efficient management to consolidate poverty alleviation gains and steadily advance rural vitalisation.”