Chinese Poor Reduced to 26.1 Million

The year 2004 saw the greatest reduction in the number of the poor over the past five years and the number of the poor decreased to 26.1 million,according to the latest statistics released by the Office of Poverty Alleviation under the State Council. In 2004, the number of people living in rural areas with an average per capita income of less than RMB668(dire poverty) was reduced by 2.9 million,