China and urbanisation: The (latest) figures

The Atlantic has pulled together a nice summary that might be useful for readers:

690 million – Urban Chinese population

656 million – Rural Chinese population

51.27 percent – Amount of population living in urban areas in 2011

25 percent – Amount of population living in urban areas in 1982

90 percent – Amount of population living in rural areas in 1949

60 percent – Amount of population employed outside the agricultural sector

200-300 million – Number of migrant workers estimated to have taken up at least partial residence in cities

500 million – Number of migrant workers for whom authorities need to devise methods of urbanizing, according to the report (Report being: “The Urban Blue Book: China City Development Report No. 5)

$786 billion – Estimated amount needed to provide social security and public services for the 500 million new urban residents in the next 20 years

5.2-to-1 – Income ratio for urban residents compared to rural residents

3.13-to-1 – Disposable income ratio for urban residents compared to rural residents

26 percent – Amount the urban-rural income gap has increased since 1997

68 percent – Amount the urban-rural income gap has increased since 1985

76-90 percent – the amount of urban dwellers in China’s three largest municipalities, Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin

Sources: The Telegraph, China Daily, Xinhua and The Global Times plus “The Urban Blue Book: China City Development Report No. 5” published by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.