Guizhou will raise the urban and rural minimum living standard by 10 percent starting in January next year, according to the Guizhou Provincial Civil Affairs Department.

"To guarantee and improve people's well-being, Guizhou will take positive action to raise the urban and rural minimum living standard. All preparations have been completed," the Guizhou Social Assistance Bureau said.

Examination and approval will be accomplished by the end of next March. The new urban and rural minimum living standard will be formally adopted in April 2014 with a subsidy for the difference from January to March.

Guizhou raised the minimum living standard by 12 percent in April 2011. Two other increases of 10 percent occurred in January 2012 and January 2013.

There are 514,400 urban low-income people in Guizhou province. Their subsidies have increased by 41 yuan ($6.75) to 352 yuan a month per capita as of the end of 2013. The 4.7 million rural low income people receive subsidies of 1,841 yuan a year per capita, a 206 yuan increase from 2012.

The Guizhou Provincial Assistance Bureau requires a reasonable regional minimum living level in accordance with local circumstances, such as economic development level and price level, to guarantee the livelihoods of urban and rural low-income people.