4. Millions of people lifted out of poverty

The local government in Suichuan, Jiangxi province, encourages farmers to develop agricultural sightseeing by planting chrysanthemums, which plays a positive role in helping them get out of poverty. [Photo/Asianewsphoto.com]

The number of impoverished people in rural areas was 43.35 million in 2016, down 55.64 million from 2012, which means nearly 14 million people were lifted out of poverty every year, on average.

The rate of poverty was cut to 4.5 percent, down 5.7 percentage points from 2012. The average per capita disposable income of rural residents in impoverished areas stood at 8,452 yuan, with an average annual growth rate of 10.7 percent from 2012.