A research survey on Chinese life quality index of 2005 shows
expenditure spent on children's education becomes the top reason
for poverty among urban and rural Chinese, while lacking knowledge
and skill turns out to be one of the causes of failure to make
enough money, China Youth Daily reported.
The survey of 4,128 respondents in last October, was carried out
in eight big and medium-sized cities of
Beijing,
Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, Shenyang, Xi'an and
Nantong, and seven small towns with their surrounding villages.
The research, co-conducted by Horizon Research, shows 40 percent
to 50 percent of those from poor families in cities, small towns
and villages mentioned they are poor because they have children in
school and tuition fees are the biggest expenditure of their
families.
The second heaviest burden for poor families is medical fees as
some 25 percent of the surveyed said their poverty is because they
have patients to take care of.
In addition, 14 percent of the surveyed in urban areas said
another reason for poverty is that they have to support the
elder.
(People's Daily February 9, 2006)