Guangxi |
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I. Basic Data |
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1. Name: Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region 2. Area: 23.67 square kilometers 3. Population: 44.89 million (the 2000 population census) 4. Provincial Capital: Nanning 5. Geography: Guangxi is located in southern China, between 20° 54' and 26° 20' north latitude, on the southeastern corner of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, facing North Bay to the south, bordering Viet Nam to the southwest and surrounded by Guangdong, Guizhou, Yunnan and Hunan provinces. It is the only border province (region) in China that has access to the sea and inland waterway transport. The region has a terraced topography sloping from the northwest to the southeast, with hilly land constituting 85% of its total area and plains 15%. The sub-tropical humid monsoon climate brings distinct dry and damp seasons. 6. Natural Resources: Guangxi is bestowed with a sound climate and rich resources. Cultivated land in the region totals more than 30 million mu (15 mu = 1 hectare); however, the per capita amount is small. In addition, Guangxi also abounds in cash crops and native products. Furthermore, it leads the rest of the country in reserves of non-ferrous metals. Water resources are also abundant in this region. In addition, Guangxi has well-developed tropical fisheries in the North Bay, as well as fresh water fisheries. Guilin and Beihai scenic areas have become famous tourist attractions. 7. Economy: In 2000, the GDP of Guangxi reached 205.015 billion Yuan, with the per capita amount being 4,319 Yuan, total industrial output value amounted to 180.024 billion Yuan, output value from farming, forestry, animal husbandry and fisheries totaled 82.897 billion Yuan, total fiscal revenue amounted to 14.705 billion Yuan and total grain output reached 16.67 million tons. Thanks to its geographical advantages and China's reform and opening up policy, Guangxi's economy grew at a faster speed than the national average during 1991-1995. 8. People's life: Year-end statistics for 2000 showed that Guangxi had labor for of 32.03 million, making up 67.4% of the province's total. Of these people, 25.66 million were employed, with the use rate of labor force being 80.1%. The per capita wage of staff and workers reached 8,458 Yuan; savings deposit of urban residents totaled 137.442 billion Yuan; per capita annual net income of rural residents amounted to 1,865 Yuan; per capita disposable income of urban residents reached 5,834 Yuan; per capita living expenditure was 4,852 Yuan for urban and 1,487 for rural residents; and there were on average 17.4 hospital beds and 26.7 doctors and nurses for every 10,000 persons. 9. Education: The decades after the founding of the People's Republic, especially the time post-1960, have witnessed a rapid increase in Guangxi's population with all types of education. In the years after 1982, the educational level of its population continued to rise. However, it is still low compared with the rest of the country, which can be seen from the low proportion of people with a higher education and the overall educational level of the population. By the end of 2000, there were 30 institutions of higher learning with an enrollment of more than 117,900 students and a faculty of 9,300; 6,484 secondary schools with 6,038,000 students and 272,200 teachers; and 16,109 primary schools with 5,368,000 pupils and a faculty of 199,000. In 2000, The enrollment rate of school-age children was 98.68% and the illiterate rate was 3.79%. |
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II. Population Situation |
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1. Size and Distribution The total population of Guangxi has grown rapidly over the past decades, increasing from 18.45 million in 1949 to 44.89 million in 2000. From 1982 to 1990, a total of 5.824 million people were added to its total population, producing an average annual growth rate of 1.87%. From 1990 to 2000, growth in persons were 2.64 million, the growth rate was 6.26% and the annual growth rate was 0.59%. In addition, with ethnic populations accounting 38.34% of its total, Guangxi is one of the four provinces (autonomous regions) in China with an ethnic population of more than 10 million, and the autonomous region with the largest ethnic population. Most of Guangxi's population resides in the southern and southeastern parts of the region; the northern and southwestern parts are sparsely populated. Great differences exist in population distribution and density between urban and rural areas. Ethnic minorities are concentrated in the west and northwestern hilly areas, while most Han people live in the northeastern and southeastern plain areas. In 2000, the population density was 190 persons/sq.km. 2. Population History The development of Guangxi's population since the founding of the People's Republic can be divided into five phases: Phase I (1949 - 1953). Total population increased steadily. Phase II (1953 - 1964). The birth rate of the urban population was 0.364 of a percentage point higher than that of their rural counterparts. Phase III (1964 - 1982). This was a period in which Guangxi's total population grew at the fastest rate and for the longest time. Phase IV (1982 - 1990). Thanks to the implementation of the family planning program, the momentum of population growth was placed under control. However, the annual increase rate was still higher than the national average. Phase V (1990 to present). The rapid growth of population has been brought under effective control. The population situation was ignored along with population quality, providing a relaxed population environment for socio-economic development. 3. Population Structure by Sex and Age The sex ratio of Guangxi's total population was basically normal during 1950 - 1979, but increased significantly in the late 1980s. Now the surprisingly unbalanced sex ratio has drawn special attention from the local government. In addition, there exists a difference in the sex composition between different regions and between urban and rural areas. In 1990, the sex ratio was 110.30, but in 2000, it was 112.68, increased 2.38. In the 1950s and 1960s, Guangxi had a young population, with a standard broad-based pyramid-shaped age structure; in 1982, however, the population was in a transition period from young to adult, and entered the early stage of an adult society in 1990, according to statistics for the same year. In 2000, there were 11.78 million people aged 0 - 14, representing 26.24% of the region's total of 44.89 million; 29.91 million aged 15 - 64, 66.64% of the total; and 3.20 million aged 65 and over, 7.12% of the total. The total dependency ratio reached 50.08%, of which the dependency ratio of the young was 39.38% and that of the aged 10.70%. 4. Fertility Level and Changes Guangxi recorded a birth rate of 23.29 per 1,000 in 1989, according to the 1990 census. Thanks to the efforts that the local government made to curb fertility, that figure was reduced to 13.60 per 1,000 by the end of 2000, and TFR declined subsequently, though still being far from the replacement level. In 1997, the natural increase rate stood at 7.90 per 1,000. Estimations based on the high, medium and low variant projections show that an average of 900,000 newborns were added to its total population annually in the 1990s, and only after 2030 will this momentum slow down. The projected birth rate is on the decrease; however, the pressure imposed on the local economy by the annual population increase is still strong. 5. Mortality and Life Expectancy
Guangxi had a high mortality rate prior to 1949, averaging over 16 per 1,000 between 1937 and 1942, and average life expectancy in this period was only 41 years. Since 1949, the mortality rate has been reduced significantly to 5.63 per 1,000 in 1989 and 5.70 in 2000. In general, since the 1980s, the mortality rate of Guangxi's population has remained between 5.50 and 6.70 per 1,000. In 2000, the average life expectancy has reached 68.72 years. 6. Marriage Status, Family Size and Type The 1990 fourth census indicates that unmarried people represented 28.95% of the region's population aged 15 and over. The proportion of people remaining single for their lifetime was increasing. The sex ratio of the unmarried increased considerably and varied greatly between urban and rural areas. The census also showed that more people got married early, compared to the third census in 1983. A great difference between urban and rural areas existed in the number of people currently with spouses. Among the divorced, there were more males than females and divorce varied greatly between urban and rural areas. The divorce rate was lower for people with a secondary education. Among the widowed population, the number of females was 2.22 times that of males and the proportion of young and aged people was increasing. A great difference also existed between urban and rural areas in this respect. In 1999, of the 33.458 million people aged 15 and over, 26.36% were unmarried; 64.58% were first-time married currently with spouses; 1.08% were remarried currently with spouses; 0.79% were divorced; and 7.10% were widowed. Between 1950 and 1981, the number of households in Guangxi was slowly increasing, while the total population was increasing rapidly. However, the period 1982 - 1990 saw the former developing at a notably faster rate than the latter, and a difference existed between urban and rural areas and between different regions. Average family size kept expanding between 1950 and 1981, but turned smaller in post-1982 years. It averaged 4.41 persons in 1951, increased to 5.20 in 1981, declined to 4.65 in 1990 and further dropped to 3.81 in 2000. Meanwhile, a significant urban-rural and regional difference still existed. In 2000, the average size of family households were 3.31 persons in urban and 4.03 in rural respectively. 7. Aging of the Population The total number of the aged population has increased considerably in Guangxi since 1949. The number of people aged 60 and over soared from 1.473 million to 3.423 million from 1953 to 1990, accounting for 8.10% of the region's total population in 1990. According to the 2000 population census, the population aged 65 and over was 3.20 million and accounting for 7.12% to total. This momentum will not slow down until 2050. In addition, population aging in Guangxi is developing unevenly, with most of the aged population living in rural areas. This trend will continue for a considerably long time, posing a series of problems for the province's socio-economic development. 8. Population Quality Since the founding of the People's Republic in 1949, especially since the 1960s, Guangxi has achieved a lot in terms of providing its population with a proper education. Between 1964 and 1990, the number of people with a college education rose at an annual rate of 4.7%; after 1982, that rate jumped to 10.24%. Those with a middle school education increased by 8.43% annually and those with a primary school education increased steadily between 1964 and 1982. In 1990, the length of education received by those aged six and over averaged 5.40 years, with the average educational level of the total population standing at the fifth grade. Overall, despite the marked improvements in educational attainments, education in Guangxi remains underdeveloped compared to the national average. Currently, a great number of people are still illiterate or semi-literate. In addition, great disparities exist between males and females, between urban and rural areas, and between different regions in educational development. 9. Migration and the Floating Population Population migration in Guangxi is marked by the rural labor force flowing to nearby cities, and by out-migrants outnumbering in-migrants. The sex ratio is low among inter-provincial migrants and high among inter-regional migrants. Migration occurs primarily as a result of job seeking or doing business, with other causes, being family reunion, studying and training, work transfer and visiting friends or relatives. The fourth national census conducted in 1990 indicated that Guangxi had a floating population of 1.62 million, a dramatic increase over the 1980s. In addition, the 1990 census also showed that 577,600 of its floating population stayed in their adopted cities for over one year, accounting for 1.37% of its total permanent population. Cities, especially those with well-developed industries, trade and transportation, are the main destination for most migrants. 10. Population, Resources and the Environment In absolute terms, Guangxi has a large amount of land resources, but in per capita terms, its land acreage is low and decreasing. An unbalanced distribution of arable land, the waste and abuse of farmland, the pollution and degradation of the soil have all worsened the situation. The supply of grain has become short as a result. Furthermore, the increase in population also exerts strong pressure on local water and coal resources, and deteriorates environmental pollution and the ecosystem. 11. Ethnic Population Guangxi is an autonomous region dominated by the Zhuang people, but it is also home to 48 ethnic groups, with the minority groups numbering 16.578 million (18.15% of the country's total and 39.24% of the region's total), according to the 1990 census. In 2000, the population of minority nationalities was 16.51 million and average annual growth rate was 0.40% from 1990 to 2000. The sex ratio is lower among ethnic groups than among the Hans. Guangxi's population turned adult since 1982. However, age composition in all ethnic groups is younger than in Hans. Since the 1980s, the fertility level of the ethnic population has decreased significantly, approaching the level of the Hans. In addition, the illiteracy rate for the ethnic population is also declining. The overall educational attainment of the ethnic population has improved greatly, despite disparities with the Hans and between different ethnic groups. |
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III. Family Planning |
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As a region inhabited by ethnic minorities, Guangxi, for a considerably long period of time since 1949, was encouraged to increase its population size. Population control in Guangxi was first introduced in the 1960s and became popular only in the 1990s. The family planning program has undergone five stages. Preparatory period (1962-1966): In March 1964, the Family Planning Committee of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region was established, followed by the creation of affiliated organizations at all levels to promote family planning and provide technical services. Family planning work in this period focused on urban residents. Recovery period (1967-1976): In March 1972, the Family Planning Office of the Autonomous Region was reinstated and placed under the administration of the Public Health Bureau of the Autonomous Region. Activities included family planning publicity and technical guidance. However, family planning work as a whole was almost stagnant in this period due to external constraints, particularly the chaotic "Cultural Revolution". Development period (1977 - 1983): Since 1978, family planning work in Guangxi progressed significantly. Leaders and family planning workers at all levels refreshed their understanding of family planning. More enforceable policies and regulations were made and measures were taken to build up family planning teams. As a result, the birth rate was reduced from 27.27 per 1,000 in 1976 to 18.52 in 1983, and the natural increase rate from 20.61 per 1,000 to 12.92. Deepening period (1984 - 1993): In this period, the focus of family planning work was switched to rural areas. Work in this area included further enhancing family planning leadership; incorporating population control into economic planning; fine-tuning family planning policies and regulations; improving family planning awareness and education; establishing and improving the family planning responsibility system; and further improving the family planning network. As a result, population growth was checked. Improvement period (1994 to present): Throughout the 1990s, local governments have paid greater attention to family planning leadership. While adhering to the guideline of "three emphases" and adopting the approach of "three integrations" put forward by the central government, they also actively enhanced standard management and legislation, family planning publicity and education, scientific management and contraceptive supplies. In 1997, the population of newborns in Guangxi numbered 735,000 (188,900 fewer than planned), with the birth rate standing at 15.93 per 1,000 (0.4 percentage point lower than planned). The net increase of the population was 440,000 (190,000 less than planned), with the natural increase rate standing at 9.53 per 1,000 (0.397 percentage point lower than planned). To sum it up, Guangxi made the following achievements in its family planning program over the last two decades: Bringing rapid population growth under effective control. Population reproduction has developed in a modern rather than a traditional style. Age composition has turned from young to adult. Reducing the total fertility rate (TFR). Statistics show that TFR for Guangxi averaged 5.36 children per woman between 1950 and 1981; however, in 1990, it was steadily reduced to 2.71. Delaying women's age at first marriage. In the 1950s and 1960s, the average age at first marriage for ethnic women was below 20 years. That age was raised to 21.81 years in 1974 and further to 22 in 1992. Meanwhile, the median age also increased from 19.98 years in 1982 to 22. Raising contraceptive prevalence while reducing the birth rate and natural increase rate. The birth rate declined from 25.17 per 1,000 in 1989 to 19.60 in 1993, and the natural growth rate from 19.37 per 1,000 to 15.46. More than 6.1 million couples of childbearing age have adopted contraceptive measures. In 2000, the family planning rate was 90.62% and contraceptive prevalence rate was 89.51%. Statistics showed that in 2000, the birth rate and natural growth rate in Guangxi were 13.60 per 1,000 and 7.90 per 1,000 respectively. |
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