By Xinhua
Beijing : The income gap between China’s rural and urban population continues to widen despite rapidly rising rural incomes, Agriculture Minister Sun Zhengcai said here Wednesday.
The income ratio between urban and rural population was 3.28:1 in 2006, against 3.23:1 in 2003, said Sun in his report delivered to China’s top legislature.
The minister also said the net income of rural residents in different regions varied widely.
“On one hand, continuously rising input prices had driven up farm costs and reduced agricultural profits. At the same time, new income sources for peasants are limited,” Sun said.
According to his report, per capita net income for the country’s 900 million rural residents is expected to reach 4,000 yuan ($546) in 2007, up seven percent year-on-year in real terms. Rural net incomes have grown more than six percent annually for four consecutive years.