Explanatory Notes on Main
Statistical Indicators
Explanatory Notes on Main
Statistical Indicators
Gross Output Value
of Agriculture, Forestry, Animal
Husbandry and Fishery refers to the total value of products of
agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery, and total value of
services in support of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery
activities. It reflects the total scale and results of agricultural production
during a given period. Prior to 1957,
Gross output value
of agriculture is obtained by multiplying the output of each product or
by-product by its price, resulting in the output value of each single item. For
a small number of products, annual output of which is not available or
difficult to get due to the long production (growing) process involved, the
output value is estimated through an indirect approach. The sum of output
values of all products of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery
and services in support to those industries is then equal to the gross output
value of agriculture.
Grain Output refers to
the total output in the whole country including grains produced by State farms,
collective units, rural households, as well as by farms affiliated to
industrial and mining enterprises and other production units. Grain includes
rice, wheat, corn, sorghum, millet and other miscellaneous grains as well as
tubers and beans. Output of beans refers to dry beans without pods. The output
of tubers (sweet potatoes and potatoes, not including taros and cassava) are converted
into that of grain at the ratio 4:1, i.e. 4 kilograms of fresh tubers were
equivalent to 1 kilogram of grain up to 1963. Since 1964 the ratio for
conversion has been 5:1. Tubers supplied as vegetables (such as potatoes) in
cities and suburbs are calculated as fresh vegetables and their output is not
included in the output of grain. Output of all other grains refers to husked
grain. Data on grain production before 1989 were obtained through the
Comprehensive Statistical Reporting System. Since 1989, data from sample
surveys are used.
Cotton Output refers to
cotton production in the whole country including cotton planted in spring and
in autumn. Output is measured as the weight of ginned cotton. Ceiba is not
included.
Output of
Oil-bearing Crops refers to the total production of
oil-bearing crops of various kinds, including peanuts (dry, in shell),
rapeseeds, sesame, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and other oil-bearing crops.
Soybeans, oil-bearing woody plants, and wild oil-bearing crops are not included.
Output of Aquatic
Products
refers to catches of both artificially cultured and naturally grown
aquatic products, including fish, shrimps, crabs and shellfish in sea and
inland water as well as seaweed. Freshwater plants are not included. Data on output of aquatic products are
reported by aquatic product and statistical agencies level by level. Before
1995, among the shellfish, oyster was counted as fresh meat; 5 kilograms of ark
shell, clams and frogs are equivalent to 1 kilogram of fresh aquatic products;
they have all been counted as fresh aquatic products since 1996.
Output of Pork,
Beef, and Mutton refers to the meat of slaughtered
hogs, cattle, sheep and goats with head, feet, and offal taken away. Data
refers to the production of the whole country. The First Agricultural Census of
China in 1996 revealed some discrepancy between the production of animal
products from the annual reports and that from the census. Efforts were made by
the Rural Survey Organization of the NBS to adjust the output value of animal
husbandry to make the figures from the annual reports consistent with the
census data. Since 1999, the NBS conducted sample surveys for the major animal
husbandry products, such as hogs, cattle, sheep and goats and fowls, and the
data from sample surveys are used as national finalized data. Those products,
which are not covered by the sample survey, are still reported by statistical
agencies level by level.
Number of Livestock
or Poultry in Stock at Beginning (or End) of Period refers to the total number of large animals, pigs, sheep, fowls, etc.
raised by rural cooperative organizations, State farms, rural individuals,
government agencies, schools, industrial and mining enterprises, army, and
urban residents at the beginning (or end) of the reference period. Data
reporting system and data adjustment are the same as that in the output of
pork, beef and mutton.
Sown Area of Crops refers to
area of land sown or transplanted with crops regardless of being in cultivated
area or non-cultivated area. Area of land re-sown due to natural disasters is
also included. This is an important indicator that can reflect the utilization
condition of the cultivated land in China. At present, the sown area of crops
mainly include the following 9 categories of crops: grain, cotton, oil-bearing
crops, sugar crops, flax crops, tobacco, vegetables and melons, medicinal
materials and other farm crops.
Irrigated Area refers to
area of land that are effectively irrigated, i.e. relatively level land, where
there are water sources or complete sets of irrigation facilities to lift and
move adequate water for irrigation purpose under normal conditions. Under
normal situations, irrigated area is the sum of watered fields and irrigated
fields where irrigation systems or equipment have been installed for regular
irrigation purpose. This important indicator reflects drought resistance
capacity of the cultivated land in China.
Consumption of
Chemical Fertilizers in Agriculture refers to the quantity of
chemical fertilizers applied in agriculture in the year, including nitrogenous
fertilizer, phosphate fertilizer, potash fertilizer, and compound fertilizer.
The consumption of chemical fertilizers is calculated in terms of volume of
effective components by means of converting the gross weight of the respective
fertilizers into weight containing effective component (e.g. nitrogen content
in nitrogenous fertilizer, phosphorous pentoxide contents in phosphate
fertilizer, and potassium oxide contents in potash fertilizer). Compound fertilizer
is converted in regard to its major components. The formula is:
Volume of effective
component= physical quantity× effective component of certain chemical fertilizer
(%)
Total Power of
Agricultural Machinery refers to total mechanical power
of machinery used in agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery,
including machinery for ploughing, irrigation and drainage, harvesting,
transport, plant protection, animal husbandry, forestry and fishery and other
agricultural machineries. (For the power of internal combustion engines, it is
converted from its horsepower into watts while for electric motors the output
power is converted into watts.) Machinery employed for non-agricultural
purposes, such as the machines used in township-run and village-run industry,
construction, non-agricultural transport, scientific experiments and teaching,
are not included. Data are mainly from agricultural machinery agencies.
Number of Households in Villages
refers to households resident on a long term basis (i.e. 1 year or more)
in administrative districts in townships (not including urban townships),
including rural households resident in areas under the jurisdiction of urban
townships. Households whose household registration is not in the locality yet
resident for one year or more are included among the rural households.
Households having local household registration yet the whole household having
left for somewhere else for work for one year or more, whether still retaining
contracted farmland, are not included among the local rural households. Also
not included are collective households associated with institutions of the
State economy, organizations, schools and enterprises.
Number of Residents of Villages refers to the number of
usual residents in usual resident households in rural areas. These are persons
who are regularly at home or are at home for 6 months or more and economically
and socially integrated with the household. For persons who are away from home
for employment for more than 6 months yet the main income is brought back home
and thus economically integrated with the household, the person is still
considered as a usual resident of the household. National employee and retired
personnel who reside at home and whose living is integrated with the household are
also considered as usual residents. However, serving military personnel,
students at secondary technical level
or above ( unless commuting between school and home), employed persons
who are regularly elsewhere the year round ( except visiting relatives or
receiving medical attention) and having a stable job and residence should not
be considered as usual resident of the household.
Rural Persons Engaged refer to persons in the rural
labour force aged over 16 years who are engaged in actual production and
management activities and receive payment in kind or wages, including those
covered within the labour force age bracket and regularly participating in
production activities, and those who are out of the labour force age bracket
yet also participating in production activities regularly. Students studying in
other places with their permanent residence registered in local areas,
servicemen and persons incapable of working are not included. Also not included
are those who are waiting for jobs and those engaged in housework. Persons
employed are classified as persons engaged in agriculture, forestry, animal
husbandry or fishery activities; persons engaged in industrial activities; persons
engaged in construction activities; persons engaged in transport, storage and
telecommunications activities; persons engaged in wholesale and retail trade
and catering activities; and persons engaged in other non-agriculture
activities. In case the person is engaged in more than one type of work,
classification is according to the industry in which he works most of the time
(where time is the same income would be the criterion).