Communiqué on Major Data of the Second National Agricultural Census of China (No.4)

Office of the Leading Group of the State Council for the Second National Agricultural Census
National Bureau of Statistics

February 26, 2008

Living Conditions of Rural Households

The Second National Agricultural Census conducted surveys on living conditions of 22,108 thousande rural households. Now the results are published as follows:

I. Residential buildings

At the end of 2006, per capita floor space of residential building in rural areas was 128 square meters. 99.3 percent of households had their own house. Of which, the number of households that having one, two and more than three houses was 204,500, 14,210 and 770 thousand, respectively occupying 92.5, 6.4 and 0.4 percent. 

The main type of houses was bungalows. Of which, the number of households living in bungalows, buildings, and other types of housing was 147,740, 67,500 and 5,840 thousand, respectively seized 66.8, 30.5 and 2.7 percent.

The main structure of house was brick-wood, Brick concrete, and reinforced concrete. The number of households living in brick and wood, reinforced concrete, bamboo-grass-adobe, and other types amounted to 97,990, 87,060, 13,350, 21,240 and 1,440 thousand, respectively occupying 44.3, 39.4, 6, 9.6 and 0.7 percent.

Table 1 Floor space and structure of residential buildings

II. Drinking water

The number of households that reflecting difficulties in obtaining drinking water was 22,650 thousand, occupying 10.3 percent. That of using piping water, purified drinking water, deep-well water, shallow-well water, lake and river water, pool water, rain water and other sources of water as drinking water was 107,540, 51,010, 92,310, 61,510, 6,190, 3,030, 3,160 and 3,870 thousand, respectively taking 48.6, 23.1, 41.8, 27.8, 2.8, 1.4, 1.4 and 1.7 percent.

Table 2 Conditions of drinking water

III. Cooking energy

Of the cooking energies used in rural areas, the number of households using major on firewood, coal, coal or natural gas, biogas, electricity and other energies totaled 133,180, 57,620, 26,420, 1,450, 1,820 and 590 thousand, respectively accounted for 60.2, 26.1, 11.9, 0.7, 0.8 and 0.3 percent.

Table 3 Composition of households by utilization of main cooking energy

IV. Sanitation facilities

The number of households using water-flushing toilets and dry toilets amounted to 28,380 and 97,960 thousand, respectively occupied 12.3 and 44.3 percent; and that of using privies or without toilets was 94,740 thousand, sized 42.9 percent.

Table 4 Composition of households by family sanitation facilities

V. Durable consumer goods

The number of color TV set, fixed telephone, mobile telephone, computer, motorcycle and automobile owned per 100 rural households was respectively 87.3, 51.9, 69.8, 2.2, 38.2 and 3.4 sets.

Table 5 Ownership of major durable consumer goods

Notes:

1.       Residential building: often refers to the houses with cover, walls around, shelter and dwelling for human beings, including cave dwelling, bamboo house, Mongolian yurt, tabernacle, tent, boat house and etc. according to different living habits.  

2.       Floor space of residential building: refers to floor space of all residential buildings owned by households, including that of self-residence, lease and vacant houses. 

3.       Difficulty in obtaining drinking water: mainly refers to horizontal distance to intake point more than one kilometer, or vertical elevation difference more than 100 meters, continuous short of water more than 70 days in normal year, or single intake time more than half an hour, as well as including turbidity, standard exceeding and other phenomena of water quality.

4.       Cooking energy: refers to main energies used by households in family cooking.

5.       Four regions: eastern region includes Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Shandong, Guangdong, Hainan. Central region covers Shanxi, Anhui, Jiangxi, Henan, Hubei, Hunan. Western region includes Inner Mongolia, Guangxi, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Tibet, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, Xinjiang. Northeastern region covers Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang.