By Ye Xingqing & Yin Haodong, Research Department of Rural Economy, DRC

Research Report, No.141, 2019 (Total 5641) 2019-8-20

Abstract: After 2020, poverty distribution in China will undergo major changes in characteristics that the relatively poor replacing the absolute poverty to be the main body of poverty population, concentrated distribution of regional poverty transforming into a scattered distribution, predominant rural poverty turning into coexistence of rural and urban poverty, as well as special groups such as the young, the old, the sick and the disabled becoming the main population in poverty. The relative poverty line needs to be set according to the median income ratio method, and the poverty standard should be determined according to the 40% level of the median income during the “14th Five-Year Plan” period. Urban and rural poverty alleviation targets and governance mechanisms need to be unified, with the social security departments taking the responsibility for the aid and security measures from the current targeted poverty alleviation measures, and the agricultural and rural departments taking the responsibility for the economic development measures from the current targeted poverty alleviation measures. Inclusive growth and multi-dimensional improvement need to be adopted to promote long-term poverty reduction, and the organization and mobilization mechanism of poverty alleviation should be extended to the implementation of rural revitalization strategy. In the future, we need to implement anti-poverty policies based on equalization of basic public services, development-oriented low-income group assistance policies, industrial policies that are conducive to income growth among low-income groups, and regional policies to promote the development of underdeveloped areas.

Key words: relative poverty, poverty reduction policy, the 14th Five-Year Plan