Chinese rural residents are showing more satisfaction with their
life than the country's urbanites in 2007, said a report from the
country's top think tank.
The report, which surveyed on 2,484 urbanites and 871 rural
residents, was conducted by Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
The rise of satisfaction level on rural residents is partly due
to the benefits they gained from rising farm product prices, said
Li Peilin, director of the Academy's sociology bureau.
However, the rising farm product prices had a negative effect on
urban residents, Li said.
Li also attributed the change to the increasing coverage of
minimum social security in the countryside. More than 30 million
rural residents benefited from the program in 2007, according to
Li.
In a 2006 report, the satisfaction level of the country's urban
residents was higher than those living in the countryside.
(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2008)