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Jiangsu Province in China claims to have lifted 2.54 million people out of poverty in the past four years, with just 17 residents still living below the poverty line. However, some have questioned the accuracy of the statistics and suggested propaganda may be a factor. China’s goal of eradicating absolute poverty by the end of 2020 is likely to be impacted by the effects of Covid-19 on the country’s economy. The poverty line in China is 2,300 yuan ($331 USD), but Jiangsu used a higher standard of 6,000 yuan ($863) in annual income.
Several years ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced his desire to eradicate absolute poverty in China by the end of 2020. It was an ambitious goal for a country of about 1.4 billion people.
But at least one province seems to have already succeeded, if published statistics are to be believed.
Surprisingly, earlier this year, the eastern province of Jiangsu reported that just 17 of its 80 million residents were living in poverty, attracting speculation (and some derision) from skeptics in China and around the world.
So has Jiangsu Province really done a miraculous job of creating a comfortable life for nearly all of its citizens, or could propaganda be a factor? The province said 2.54 million people were lifted out of poverty in the past four years, even using 6,000 yuan ($863) in annual income as the poverty line. Although the standard 6,000 yuan is equivalent to just $2.40 a day, this is actually much higher than China’s de facto national poverty line, which is just 2,300 yuan ($331 USD).
Regardless of Jiangsu’s jaw-dropping figures, China’s poverty-eradication goal is likely to be put on hold, as the effects of Covid-19 have slowed China’s growth: China’s economy shrank by 6.8% in the first quarter of 2019. 2020.
Staggering the Poverty Line:
Using the usual standard of 2,300 yuan annual income, there were 16.6 million people in China at the end of 2018 living in poverty, almost entirely in rural areas. Official statistics for 2019 have yet to be released, but government sources say 10 million people lifted themselves out of poverty last year.
Jiangsu is one of China’s wealthiest provinces, second only to Guangdong in economic output. The latest data show that 2.54 million people have been lifted out of extreme poverty in Jiangsu over the past four years.
Jiangsu said the 17 people still living below the poverty line are all able to work, but that four of these people “have diseases”.
