Chongqing- Chinese people's life quality continued to improve in 2021, with the Engel coefficient of residents down to 29.8 percent from 30.2 in 2020, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. While in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, the Engel coefficient of all residents was 33.2%, reaching the level of a moderately developed country, based on recent information from the Chongqing Bureau of Statistics.
The Engel Coefficient, or Engel's Law, states that the proportion of food in total consumption expenditure is negatively associated with household income. The decline of Engel's coefficient indicates that the level of economic development and the living standard of the residents in China is constantly improving, which matches the country's booming economy.
Chongqing's Engel coefficient of all residents was 33.2%, reaching the level of a moderately developed country. (iChongqing/ Chen Zhan)
The penetration rate of rural toilets reached 83.6%
Food is the paramount necessity of the people. A series of food safety guarantee systems are being established and improved throughout the city. Steady progress has been made in preventing and controlling agricultural non-point source pollution, and the total use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has continued to decrease, ensuring the safety and traceability of the entire food chain.
Through the renovation of old urban districts and the renovation of dilapidated houses in rural areas, Chongqing has vigorously promoted the construction of public rental housing, affordable rental housing, and talent apartments, and the housing security system has been continuously improved. By 2021, all residents' per capita housing area has reached 46.1 square meters, 2.6 square meters more than in 2018, of which the per capita housing area of urban residents is 2.2 square meters higher than the national average.
Meanwhile, Chongqing promotes refined urban management and accelerates the construction of sponge, smart, and garden cities, ensuring the living environment of residents is more pleasant. In 2021, the city's per capita park green space area reached 16.6 square meters, and the penetration rate of rural toilets reached 83.6%.
Chongqing's specific indicators. (iChongqing/ Chen Zhan)
All citizens enjoyed basic social security
Employment is the essence of the principle of people's livelihood. By 2021, 751,000 new jobs have been created in cities and towns in the city, with a year-on-year increase of 14.5%, and the number of employed people in the city has reached 16.6827 million. Steady employment leads to steady income growth. In 2021, the per capita disposable income of all residents in the city reached 33,803 yuan, with an increase of 7,417 yuan over 2018.
Education, medical care, old care, and social security, closely related to the people's livelihood, have steadily advanced. In 2021, the city's fiscal education expenditure accounted for 16.4% of public finances, with an increase of 1.4 percentage points over 2018.
Furthermore, the number of higher education schools was 74, with an increase of 5 over 2018. The city's basic social security coverage rate has remained at 100% for three consecutive years, and the number of elderly care institution beds per thousand permanent residents in the city has reached 3.8 with an increase of 1 compared to 2018.
(Zhu Qinzhuo, as an intern, also contributed to this report.)