By Cheng Yu, Zhou Qunli & Ruan Rongping, Research Team on “Survey on People’s Livelihood in China”, DRC

Research Report, No.117, 2021 (Total 6182) 2021-5-12

Abstract: The profound problems of unbalanced development between rural and urban areas and the insufficient development in rural areas reveal that the major short links hindering modernization drive still rest with rural areas. DRC research team on “Survey on People’s Livelihood in China” conducted a face-to-face questionnaire survey in rural households in 2020. The survey results show that there still exist notable weak links in terms of medical care services, education quality and elderly care services in rural areas, and the gap between rural and urban areas with regard to living conditions like housing facilities remains to be narrowed. It indicates that in the 14th Five-Year Plan period, compared with cities, more preferential policies need to be inclined to rural areas in terms of livelihood development, and work needs to be done in the following aspects. We need to prioritize the development of agriculture and rural areas in line with the guiding principles, truly ensure that rural projects are fully funded and the arrangements for public services are given top priority so as to accelerate the addressing of short links in basic public services and the building of a livable environment in rural areas. In launching the action plan for rural construction, we need to focus our concern on the pursuits of residents in rural areas, make institutional innovations to improve the medical and elderly care services in rural areas, raise health care management capacity and old people’s care services, flesh out the teaching conditions and raise education quality and push ahead with the livable rural construction projects in a classified fashion.

Keywords: basic public services, residential environment, Survey on People’s Livelihood in China, rural areas