Shanxi |
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I. Basic Data |
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1. Name: Shanxi Province 2. Area: 156,300 square kilometers 3. Population: 32.97 million (the 2000 population census) 4. Provincial Capital: Taiyuan 5. Geography: Shanxi Province is in China's Huabei Area and the eastern Huangtu (loess) Plateau. It is between longitude 34° 34.8' N - 40° 43.4' N and latitude 110° 14.6' E -114° 33.4' E, and bordering on Hebei, Henan, Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia. 6. Natural Resources: Shanxi Province is mostly mountainous regions and plateaus covered by loess. Its mountainous area is wide and its plains are few, so the land area under cultivation is inadequate. Shanxi' s forest resources are also limited in size and of low quality. Because of its great need for lumber, almost all of it comes from other provinces. Nonetheless, more than 120 types of minerals have been found in Shanxi, including coal, bauxite, pearlite, refractory clay, gallium, and zeolite which ranks first in importance in China. It is one of the country' s energy bases, but it lacks water resources. 7. Economy: In 2000, the gross domestic product of Shanxi was 164.381 billion Yuan, the gross industrial and agricultural output value was 1072.069 billion Yuan, and the per capita gross national product was 5,137 Yuan. Total value of imports and exports of customs were 1,764.38 million US dollars; total provincial government revenue was 11,448 million Yuan; yield of grain 8.5335 million tons. Two-thirds of its counties have coal fields. There are many types of coal and iron, and the deposits are widely dispersed. The manufacture of cranes, mining machinery, steel rolling mills and textile machinery also shares an important place in China' s industry, and its light industry and textile industry is developing at a high speed. It also has traditional products such as Xinghuacun Fenjiu liquor, Changzhi porcelain and Qingxu mature vinegar. 8. People's life: By the end of 2000, Shanxi had employees of 32.478 million people. The total wages of staff and workers was 256,200 million Yuan; the welfare funds of enterprise's fully employed staff and workers was 210,876 Yuan; the insurance and welfare funds of retired and resigned staff and workers was 695,295 Yuan. The per capita net income of rural residents was 1,905.6 Yuan. The average wage of staff and workers was 6,918 Yuan, and the per capita annual disposable income of urban households was 4,745.27 Yuan. The urban households per annual capita living expenditure were 3,941.87 Yuan and 1,149.01 for rural residents. The number of health institutions was 3,273, the hospital beds were 111,880, and the number of doctors was 136,224. 9. Education: By the end of 2000, there were 24 higher education institutions in Shanxi, with number of students enrolled being 125,674 and 10,466 teachers; there were 3,946 secondary schools with 2.3794 million students and 152,427 teachers; 37,451 primary schools with 3.4360 million students and 180,362 teachers. Features of educational distribution of the Shanxi population are an increase in the educated population of each level, except primary education (this is because of the decrease in the number of primary school-age children) and decrease in the illiterate and half-illiterate population annually. |
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II. Population Situation |
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1. Size and Distribution The total population of Shanxi in 2000 was 32.97 million. Population density was 208/km sq with uneven distribution geographically. Because of the differences in socio-economic development and labor force distribution, there have been higher population densities in the middle basin, lower densities in the east mountainous area, and also low densities in the western hilly land. More people are living in areas with rich mineral resources and developed industry and mining, more people are also living in the plains, and the population growth rate was faster in the plains than in the mountainous and hilly areas. Most of urban population is located in the great plain and basin, and a larger proportion of the agricultural population lives in the same areas also. There are 45 minority nationalities in the province, all of them small in size. 2. Population History Shanxi's population has developed very rapidly since the 1950s. The process can be divided into four periods by the variations in total population and annual increase rate: 1949 - 1958 was the period of fast increase in the total population with the annual rate being 26.52 per 1,000; 1959 - 1961 was the trough of population increase; 1962 - 1973 was the period of fast population increase, the average increase being 456,000 annually, and the average annual increase rate was 23.41 per 1,000; 1973 - present has been a period of steady growth with planning; population growth has been brought under control through the wide promotion of family planning. 3. Population Structure by Sex and Age Because of various reasons, sex ratios were historically relatively high in Shanxi: about 130 from 1912 to 1937, gradually lowering after 1949. In 1990, the sex ratio of Shanxi was 108.39, still higher than the national average. The sex ratio was 107.28 on the 2000 population census. The distribution of the sex ratio is uneven geographically, with higher ratios in the north and lower in the south, decreasing gradually. Sex ratios are higher in cities and towns, higher in industrial and mining areas. Among the 2000 population of 32.97 million, the population aged 0 - 14 was 8.51 million, accounting for 25.80% of the total; the 15 - 64 population made up 68.00% of the total (22.42 million); and the population aged 65 and above was 2.04 million, accounting for 6.20% of the total. 4. Fertility Level and Changes The fertility level in Shanxi is in the upper middle level nationwide. It has varied in a saddle shape in the 1980s. In 1981, the total fertility rate was 2.43, then it decreased to 2.1 in 1985 after the policy of "Family Planning Regulation of Shanxi Province" was implemented. It returned to the level of 1981 after the readjustment of the Regulation in 1986; it was 2.42 in 1990. There appeared to be an earlier marriage and fertility peak-value, decreased high parity birth proportion, and increased second parity births. A third fertility peak was observed in 1992; the fertility level subsequently dropped since the women of childbearing age decreased in number annually. In 2000, the birth rate of Shanxi was 13.25 per 1,000, natural increase rate 7.48 per 1,000. According to population projections under three scenarios (high, medium, and low), the population of Shanxi will still increase in the early part of the next century, with a decrease in the newborn population and birth rate. 5. Mortality and Life Expectancy Mortality decreased sharply since the establishment of the new China, but the process was not smooth. The total number of deaths and mortality decreased, and infant mortality decreased also. Rural-urban differences are obvious in mortality; and male mortality is higher than that of females, minority mortality is lower than that of the Han majority. The provincial mortality rate decreased from 13.70 per 1,000 in 1949 to 5.77 per 1,000 in 2000. The average life expectancies during the period 1928 - 1933 were 38.90 years for males and 34.27 for females. Since the rapid decrease in the mortality level after 1949, life expectancy increased significantly, reaching 69.42 in 1990. 6. Marriage Status, Family Size and Type By the time of the 1990 fourth national census, the never-married male population was larger than that of females, with rural-urban differences. Most of the never-married population comprised young adults. The rates for the never-married were increasing as the education level increased. Very few people stayed never married during their lifetime. There were more married women than men. The proportion of the population married increased as persons' age increased before age 40, and it increased faster during the marriage-childbearing peak. Women' s average age at first marriage has been increasing. There were more widowed women. The proportion of the widowed population increased as age increased. The widowhood rate decreased for the older age group, and it was higher in rural than urban areas, and higher among illiterate and semi-literate people. The divorced population had a high sex ratio with a large difference being noticeable between rural and urban areas. The largest proportion of divorce was in the 50 - 59 age group, and a higher proportion of divorced people in rural areas. In 1997, out of 23.232 million people aged 15 and older, there were 11.805 million males and 11.427 million females. Among them, there were 2.603 million never married males and 1.710 million females; first-married males numbered 8.482 million, and females 8.603 million; remarried males numbered 202,000 and females 269,000; divorced males numbered 133,000 and females 49,000 widowed males numbered 385,000 and females 796,000. The size of the family household has decreased; the proportion of large families decreased and small families increased. The average household size in 2000 was 3.62, 3.29 for rural areas and 3.81 for urban areas. There were mainly nuclear families. Among elderly family households, there were more single elderly people. Most single-person households' members were elderly persons whose spouses had died. 7. Aging of the Population By the time of the 1990 fourth national census, the population rapidly changed from the adult to the aged type. The aged population increased rapidly in size and in terms of rate, and the increase was faster than economic development in the province; also the increase was uneven geographically. The sex ratio decreased while the oldest old population increased. In 1990 fourth national census, population aged 0-14 to total was 28.15%, 15-64 was 66.47% and 65+ was 5.39%. But in 2000 fifth population census, 0-14 was 25.80%, 15-64 was 68.00% and 65+ was 6.20. 8. Population Quality The 2000 national census showed that the proportion of people with a secondary or higher education level increased, and the proportion of illiterate people in the population decreased. The illiterate rate in 1990 was 11.30%, but in 2000 it was 4.18%, lower 7.12%. 9. Migration and the Floating Population The strength of population migration increased continuously in recent years owing to the stimulation of the market economy. There have been more in-migrants than out-migrants moving between provinces, more male than female migrants. The direction of migration is mainly from rural to urban and mining areas. The migrants have a relatively higher education, and the education level of intra-provincial migrants is higher than inter-provincial migrants. There is a large proportion of single people among the migrants. The original occupation of migrants was mainly agriculture, and most of them were engaged in trade and industry at their destination. 10. Population, Resources and the Environment Shanxi is the energy and chemical industry base of China. Population growth and economic development have put much pressure on resources and the environment. The problems of resource shortage, pollution, and damage to the habitat are harmful to people' s health, and also adversely affect opportunities for further economic development. |
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III. Family Planning |
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History Period of Fertility Control Publicity and Supervision (1956 - 1961) According to "The Circulation on Improving Contraception and Induced Abortion" by the Ministry of Health and instructions by the Central Government, Shanxi started fertility control publicity and supervision in urban and rural areas with high birth rates and high population densities. Period of Family Planning Initiation (1962 - 1970) The Provincial Family Planning Commission was established in 1963, after the Central Government' s advocacy. Most of counties/cities/districts also had local family planning commissions. The Health Department produced the "Shanxi 1963 Maternal and Child Health Work Plan", which emphasized the following slogan: "promote fertility control in areas with high population density." In 1965, the Provincial Family Planning Commission worked out "Some Policy Issues on Late Marriage and Family Planning Promotion", and gave specific instructions on family planning. The "Cultural Revolution", which started in 1966, brought the work to a total stop. During this period, the highest number of births occurred since 1949, as well as the longest lasting fertility peak. Period of Development (1971 - 1978). Shanxi has had a Family Planning Leadership Group since 1971; family planning organizations were established at each level. In 1977, they were transformed into governmental administrative departments. The first experience-exchange meeting on family planning was held in Gaoping County, to introduce the county' s experience in combining family planning with maternal and child health care. There were three other meetings in family planning technical experience exchange and family planning research cooperation during the period 1974~1978, aimed at strengthening technical ability. Period of Further Development (1979 - 1993) Shanxi put family planning into the provincial economic plan in 1979. "Shanxi Family Planning Regulation" was officially implemented in 1990. Family planning work was promoted by disseminating and sharing successful experiences. Taking the family planning work as one of the responsibilities of local government further strengthened the leadership. A province-wide family planning conference was held on television in 1993. The five-level (province, city, county, township, and village) population and family planning management responsibility system was established in the same year. Period of Steady Progress (1994 - present) Under the new situation, Shanxi implemented the "three emphases" policy in family planning work, and carried out integrated approaches. Publicity and education have been given more attention; services and standardized management were improved, the new approaches in urban family planning have been attempted. Major Achievements
Compared with the average from 1962 to 1970, the birth rate decreased from 33.1 per 1,000 to 13.25 per 1,000 in 2000; the natural increase rate decreased from 23.10 per 1,000 to 7.48 per 1,000. Although 1997 witnessed the third childbirth peak with large base number of population, the net increase in the year was 316,300, much less than the 477,100 in 1970.
The percentages of people who have a high school and higher education were 1.51% in 1964, 8.03% in 1982, and 10.20% in 1990. The percentages of illiterate and semi-literate people were 33.85% in 1964, 17.86% in 1982, and 11.30% in 1990. The provincial mortality rate was 13.70 per 1,000 in 1949, and 5.77 per 1,000 in 2000; the infant mortality rate decreased from 79.11 per 1,000 in 1958 to 39.08 per 1,000 in 1990. The average life expectancy increased from 57.16 in 1958 to 69.68 in 1990.
The average age at first-marriage at the provincial level was 17.36 years in the 1950s, 19.72 in the 1970s, 22.04 in 1984, and 24 in 1990. The total fertility rate decreased from 6.14 in the 1950s to 2.46 in 1990. People practiced family planning voluntarily, taking it as a way to keep a happy family and also one that is good for the nation.
The pattern of population reproduction has changed from high fertility, high mortality, and low natural increase rates in the early 1950s to low fertility, low mortality, and low natural increase rates. The population structure has been changing from a young to an adult population.
Having fewer but healthier children helped couples, especially women, to put more time and energy into participation in social and economic activities. |
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