Last year saw the most significant reduction of population in poverty since China began to implement its Rural Poverty Reduction and Development Program in 2001.

China reduced its impoverished population still struggling for food and clothing by at least 2.4 million in 2005, according to the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development.

The population of low-income poor also decreased by some 9 million.

Per capita income rose by about 6.8 percent on average in areas defined as key counties in the program, higher than the national average.

Planning is important in poverty reduction. Statistics show that 95,000 villages out of the 148,000 in poverty have mapped out poverty reduction plans, which had been carried out in 16,500 of them. Sample survey also has displayed that the growth rate of per capita income growth in villages where such plans had been implemented was 2.5 percentage points higher than in those where plans had not been carried out. Besides, poverty rate in those areas declined faster.

By People's Daily Online