Fujian |
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I. Basic Data |
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1. Name: Fujian Province 2. Area: 121,400 square kilometers 3. Population: 34.71 million (2000 population census) 4. Provincial Capital: Fuzhou City 5. Geography: Fujian Province is located in the southeast coastal area of China, between north latitude 23° 33' - 28° 20'and east longitude 115° 50' - 120° 43'. It adjoins Zhejiang Province in the north, Jiangxi Province in the west, Guangdong Province in the south, and faces Taiwan Province of China across the 'Strait' between the two landmasses. 6. Natural Resources: There are rich biological resources in Fujian Province. It is the one of main forestry zones in the south of China. Its forest-cover rate ranks the first in the mainland, so it is named the 'Green Treasury'. Its aquatic products are ample, and it also is the one of China's main fishing zones. There are lots of rivers, with fast drifting speed and large dropping elevation. Therefore, it ranks first in hydropower power in the east of China. Many mineral resources have been discovered, including iron, coal, manganese, and aluminum. 7. Economy: Fujian's economy has witnessed rapid development since China adopted opening and reform policies. The gross national product (GNP) of Fujian recently ranked at the top of China's provinces. In 2000, the gross domestic product (GDP) of Fujian reached 39.20 billion Yuan and the gross industrial and agricultural output value totaled 633.34 billion Yuan, with the GDP per capita being 11,601 Yuan. The total value of exports and imports was 21.223 billion US dollars in 2000. Government revenue reached 36.967 billion Yuan, with the grain output being 8.547 million tons. Currently, Fujian has 34 counties as special economic zones, economic, technological development zones, or economic open zones. 8. People's life: Based on statistics in 2000, the total wages of staff and workers reached 33.462 billion Yuan. The net per capita income for rural households was 3,230 Yuan. The average annual wage of staff and workers was 10,584 Yuan. The per capita annual consumption of staff and workers was an average of 5,638.74 Yuan, that of rural households 2,409.49 Yuan. The number of hospital beds was 2.73 per 1,000 and the number of professional medical personnel was 2.95 per 10,000. The savings deposit balance hit 176.759 billion. 9. Education: At the end of 1997, Fujian had 28 institutions of higher education, with 131,300 enrolled students, 9,800 full-time teachers. For the secondary school, the numbers were 1,921, 2,335,000 and 120,700. The numbers for primary schools were 13,939, 3,691,000 and 183,500. |
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II. Population Situation |
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Size and Distribution According to the 2000 population census, Fujian's population totaled 34.71 million, ranking it eighteenth in China. The total land area is 121,400 square kilometers, which accounts for 1.26% of China's total. Population density is relatively high. Fujian's population is also unevenly distributed, which is obvious in the entire province, even at the township and village levels. Most people live in coastal areas, some basins among mountains and river valleys. Population History As for different growth rates of the population, the following five phases characterize them. The first phase, 1949-1959, was the first baby boom peak. The increase rate per year was 2.63%. The second phase, 1960-1961, was characterized by low growth, with the increase rate per year being only 6.8%. The third phase, 1962-1973, was the second peak of population growth. Population increased by 28.94%, and on the average, the yearly net increment was 530,000. The fourth phase, 1974-1981, was defined as the low growth phrase, with the increase rate per year being 19.62%. Then, following the third peak of population growth, 1982-1990, the net increment per year rose to 527,000, and the increase rate was 19.03%. The present phase, 1990 to now, is a period with low population growth. Population Structure by Sex and Age The sex composition of Fujian's population has the following characteristics. Firstly, the sex ratio of the total population has been at a relatively high level for a long time. In 1953, the figure was 106.38. It declined to 105.62 in 1990, and in 2000, it rose to 106.35, a little higher than the normal level. Secondly, a remarkable rise is shown in the infant sex ratio. In 1997, the sex ratio of the 0-4 age group increased to 128.6, compared with 109.94 in 1990. This unbalanced sex ratio means that the proportion of males in the young age group was higher than that of females. Thirdly, the sex ratio of persons in the middle age group is dramatically high. In 1997, the sex ratios of persons 45-49 years of age were all over 112, being highest for those 55-59, i.e. 120, which contradicts the fact that it is generally below 100. Making a comprehensive survey on the change of age structure since 1990, it can be found that the proportion aged 65 and above increased from 5.07% in 1990 to 6.54% in 2000, which marked the beginning of the demographic transition from adult population to an aged population. Meanwhile, the proportion of the young dropped continually, from 31.47% in 1990 to 23.02% in 2000. The dependency ratio of the young declined, from 49.6% in 1990 to 32.7% of 2000. Correspondingly, the dependency ratio of the aged increased 8.0% to 9.3%. Fertility Level and Changes Since 1950, fertility has undergone a change from a high level to low. The threshold was in 1972 when Fujian began to implement the family planning program. Before that time, population growth was unplanned and the average TFR for 22 years stood at 5.99. Since 1972, fertility gradually has been transformed from a natural state to one where there is planned control. As it turned out, remarkable achievements have been made. In 1990, the TFR of Fujian was 2.57. In 2000, The CBR was 11.60 per 1,000 and the natural increase rate was 5.75 per 1,000. Population projections on future population growth show that the current peak of the baby boom period will continue to the end of this century. In 2009 or so, population growth will reach a new peak. Mortality and Life Expectancy Before the establishment of the People's Republic, thanks to the province's undeveloped economy and inaccessible transportation, the mortality rate of Fujian was relatively high. With the rapid development of the economy and improvement in living conditions since 1949, mortality declined dramatically. Except during the 1959-1962 period, when natural calamities influenced all of China, mortality at that period rose greatly, in other years, it has dropped consistently. In the 1980s, it stood at a certain point. In 2000, it was 5.85 per 1,000. The infant mortality rate remained at a low level since the 1970s. According to statistics for 1990, the IMR was 25.59 per 1,000. But the fact cannot be ignored that there was some underreporting in the data related to mortality. The average life expectancy at birth rose greatly since 1949. Based on the data from a model survey in 1957, the life expectancy of urban males was 62.75 years, and that of urban females was 65.27, that of rural males was 57.78, and that of rural females was 59.71. According to the 1982 census, the life expectancy of males became 66.41 years, with that of females being 70.90. In 1990, male life expectancy rose to 68.39, and females 72.63. For the total population, the life expectancy of 1990 was 70.45, higher than the national average. Marriage Status, Family Size and Type The 1990 census showed that the proportion of unmarried males was higher than that of females. The sex ratio of the unmarried population was 152.45. Men occupied a higher proportion than women did in the permanently unmarried population. Early marriage was common, and most marriage took place in rural areas. The early marriage rate of men increased greatly, with that of women being always at a high level. The average age at first marriage has been declining significantly. In 1990, that of men was 23.6 years, and that of women 21.4. The proportion widowed showed a declining tendency. The widowed proportion of men was lower than that of women. The divorced proportion for the total population was very low, and there has not been any great change. The divorced proportion has risen step by step with age, and there was no significant difference between urban and rural areas. In 1997, the average age at first marriage for women was 22.58 years. In the above 15-year-old age group, the unmarried proportion was 22.3%, proportion of first marriages was 68.8%, the proportion remarried was 1.5%, that of the divorced 0.6%, and that of widows 6.8%. Those figures were nearly the same as those for 1996, which shows that the marriage status of Fujian is stable. In terms of family size, the average household size in Fujian was 4.43 in the 1990 census; in 2000, it was 3.53, down 0.90. The average households size trend is toward decline. Families with over six persons accounted for 13.3% of the total and family with four persons accounted for 25.7% of the population in 1997. The proportions of nuclear family and single households tend to rise. Aging of the Population According to data from the 1990 census, the aged population of Fujian has increased rapidly. The proportion of elderly over 65 years of age reached 5.07% by 1990, which is lower than the national average. Data from the 2000 population census showed the number of elderly over 65 increased to 2.27 million, accounting 6.54% to total population. The population aging speed of Fujian is faster than the average national level. In terms of the age structure of the aged population, the young aged population is the majority, which mainly comprises the elderly below 75 years old. The proportion unmarried and divorced among the elderly population is very low. Most elderly live in three-generation families. Population Quality Education composition in Fujian has changed greatly since 1949. The population with a college or higher education level has increased dramatically, and the proportion illiterate and semi-literate has declined. On the average, the education level in urban areas is higher that in rural areas, and the education level of males is markedly higher than that of females. In 1990, the illiteracy rate in Fujian was 15.63%, but in 2000, it was 7.20%, down 8.43%. In 2000, Among the population aged above six, those who received a primary school education accounted for 40.77% of the total, those who received a junior secondary school education accounted for 35.87%, senior secondary/secondary technical school 11.27%, junior college and above 3.17%. Migration and the Floating Population Population migration in Fujian is mainly short-distance intra-provincial migration, although the migration between provinces is tending to rise. Emigration out of the province is to points all over the country, mainly to the following eight provinces: Sichuan, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Guizhou, Guangdong, Guangxi, Jiangsu, and Hunan. The sex ratio of emigrants is higher than that of immigrants. The proportion of emigrants with a senior and above level of education is higher than that of immigrants from other provinces. International population migration and the prevalence of the floating population became frequent recently. Overseas Chinese, compatriots in Hong Kong, China; Macao, China; and Taiwan Province of China, are the main immigrants. Such migration is increasing for relations to travel overseas for visiting and tourism. Population, Resources and the Environment High population density, and the population explosion in Fujian, brought some serious problems. Natural resources of Fujian tend to be scarce. For the relatively abundant resources, the level per capita declines and for limited natural resources, the problem has become more serious. Extended populations put great pressure on the limited resources. |
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III. Family Planning |
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As a brief review, family planning performance in Fujian has undergone four phases as follows: Initiation in ideology (1949-1971) Fujian tried to start family planning in the middle of the 1950s. In 1955, "A Notice on Contraception and Birth Control in Fujian" was issued, which stated that contraceptives were no longer restricted, but induced abortion and sterilization still needed to be examined and approved. In this phase, contraceptive knowledge was offered in urban areas. In 1963, the Fujian Province Family Planning Leadership Group and Office was established. In the Provincial Family Planning Conference of 1965, the Fujian Commission of Chinese Communist Party stated that the principle of family planning was: "To Base on People's Voluntariness, to Advocate Positively, to Safeguard the Quality, to Proceed at a Stable Pace". Young people in urban areas were encouraged to get married at the age of 25, people in rural areas at the age of 24. One child is enough, two children are fine and three children are too many, they were told. In 1963, advanced birth control technology was popularized. After three years of effort, the situation in which the crude birth rate in urban areas was higher than that of rural areas was changed, and birth control has since made great achievements. In 1966, the "Cultural Revolution" began and almost ruined the family planning program. Action Starts (1972 - 1978) In 1971, the Fujian Commission of the Chinese Communist Party requested the establishment of the Family Planning Leadership Group. In 1973, population growth began to be incorporated into national planning. In the "Summary of Provincial Family Planning Program Conference" of 1974, it was stated that secretaries of the Party at every level should take responsibility for family planning, and the chief directors should run the affairs. The Family Planning Leadership Group was established again in 1972. The scientific research office was built in 1978. Young couples were encouraged to marry late, give birth late and have fewer children according to 'The Temporary Regulation on the Family Planning Program'. It was advocated that one couple have two children unless they had any special characteristics. The birth interval should be three to five years. In urban areas, it was recommended that men get married at the age of 28 and women at the age of 25. In December 1978, it was put forward that one couple should give birth to one child, at most two children, and that birth spacing should be over four years. During that period, family planning was popularized in newspaper, radio, and TV. Proper Progress (1979-1989) In 1981, the Fujian Family Planning Leadership Group issued 'Some Ideas on Family Planning Policies', which stated the family planning policy as 'few and healthy births' and 'encourage giving birth to one child, control the birth of the second child and prevent the birth of the third child'. In 1988, 'Fujian Family Planning Regulations' were approved, which showed that family planning management would be implemented under the law. In 1983, the Fujian Family Planning Commission was established. A similar organization had been established at the prefecture and county levels. Based on the previous experience of the family planning program, many efforts were made to control population growth. Since the 1980s, family planning IEC had been popularized and deepened. A series of IEC programs were offered. Face-to-face IEC was stressed. Since the Provincial Family Planning Conference in 1981, much importance was attached to IEC. The 'Three Emphases' policy was adopted gradually, which became the guidelines for family planning in Fujian. Stable Progress (1990-now) In this period, faced with the opening and reform policies of China and the socialist market economy, Fujian explored actively the new approaches to improve family planning work, to implement the program's 'Three Emphases' and 'Three Integrations', to adopt the family planning objective management approach, to improve IEC. Fujian has accomplished the task of population control for seven years. In 1994, Fujian Province Family Planning Commission promulgated 'the Law on Management of Birth Certification' in order to standardize the procedure to apply for, examine, manage and supervise birth certification. In 1996, the 'Regulation of Family Planning on Fujian's Floating Population' and 'Regulation on Forbidding Identification of the Fetus' Sex for Non-medical Reasons' was issued, and went into action on 1st July that year. Fujian was the first province to promulgate a local law on that matter in China. In the past 40 years, Fujian's family planning program has made great achievements. They are as follows: Slow down population growth. The CBR declined from 28.6 births per 1,000 population 40 years ago to 11.60 per 1,000 in 2000. TFR dropped from 5.54 children per woman in the 1950s, 5.99 in the 1960s, 5.63 in the 1970s, 2.2 in the 1980s to 2.57 in 1990. Population quality has improved. In 1949, the mortality rate was 30 per 1,000 population. In 2000, it was 5.58 per 1,000. The illiteracy rate declined from 15.63% in 1990 to 7.20% in 2000. With the development of society and the economy, great achievements have been made in the family planning program. Many family planning workers and cadres have attained much experience. Among them, many advanced individuals have emerged. The family planning program is conducive to the coordinated development of the population, society, economy, resources and environment. |
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