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Hunan
I. Basic Figures
- Name:
Hunan Province
- Areas:
211,800 square kilometers
- Population
: 64,650,000 (by the end of 1997)
- Capital:
Changsha
- Geography:
Hunan province is located on the south bank at the mid-stream of
Yangtze River. Hunan, the name of the province was given because most
part of the province is on the south of Dongting Lake. The neighboring
provinces of Hunan are Sichuan, Guizhou , Guangxi, Guangdong and
Jiangxi. It is situated between 109°
- Natural
Resources: Hunan has very rich animal and plant resources.
There are 5,000 kinds of seed plants in the whole province. Among them
more than 2,000 kinds are ligneous plants, more than 1,000 kinds are
wild economic plants and more than 800 kinds are medicinal plants. For
animals there are 66 kinds of wild mammals, more than 500 kinds of
birds, 71 kinds of reptiles, 40 kinds of amphibians, more than 1,000
kinds of insects and more than 200 kinds of aquatic animals. Hunan has
66 kinds of valuable plants and many kinds of rare animals. The
coverage rate of forests is 34.3% and it is higher than the average
level of China with 13% and the world with 31%. Hunan is the famous
“home of nonferrous metal” in China. In the already found 111 kinds of
minerals and the proved reserves of 83 kinds of minerals, mostly are
nonferrous metals. The reserves of antimony take the first place in the
world and it has the title “antimony capital of the world”. The
reserves of wolfram and bismuth take the first place in China and
manganese and vanadium are in the second place. The reserves of lead
and zinc also take the lead in China. The reserves, production quantity
and quality of fluorite, barite, feldspar, sepiolite, kaolin and albeit
in the nonferrous metals all take the lead in China. In addition, the
average water resources in Hunan are 253.9 billion cubic meters. The
average per person occupies 3,756 cubic meters and it is 1.5 times of
the average occupancy per person in China.
- Economy:
The GDP of Hunan
province in 1997 was RMB 299.3 billion and it was 10.8% increase than
the year before. The gross output value of agriculture in the whole
year was RMB 132.227 billion and 8.3% increased. The gross output value
of industry was RMB 385.582 billion and 21.4% increased. The average
per person GNP was RMB 4,643, the total value of import and export
commodities was us $ 2.05347 billion and the total financial income was
RMB 13,716 billion. The grain production was 28.019 million tons and it
was 6.5% increase than the year before. The main problems facing the
rural area economy were as follows : The variety structure was not
rational, the transformation ability of processing was low and the
increase between production and income of the peasants was not able to
be synchronized. The industrial economy facing low quality operation
and the state-owned enterprises suffered serious losses. A lot of
production capacities were laid unused and the differentiation of the
two extremities in the enterprises was somewhat intensified.
- People's
Life: By the end of
1997 the manpower resources amounted to 41.5499 million and among them
35.6029 million were employed in Hunan. By the end of the same year the
total number of staff and workers was 5.9748 million, their salaries
amounted to RMB 31.491 billion and the annual average salary was RMB
5,326. The average per person disposable income of the inhabitants in
the cities and towns of the whole province was RMB 5,209.80 and it was
3.1% increase than the year before. The average per person consuming
expenditure of the inhabitants in the cities and towns was RMB 4,317.12
and 5.3% increased. The average per person net income of the peasants
in the whole province in 1997 reached RMB 2,037.06 and it was RMB
244.81 more than the year before and 13.7% increased. The average per
person consuming expenditure of the peasants was RMB 1,815.79 and RMB
79.08 more and 4.6% increased than the year before. The housing
conditions of the inhabitants in the cities and towns had been
evidently improved. The average per person housing area in the cities
and towns was 9.2 square meters and 27.37 square meters for the
inhabitants in the rural areas and it was 0.7 and 0.49 square meters
more respectively than the year before. Hunan had 15,591 medical
institutions and 250,800 medical workers (205,600 medical technicians).
Total number of beds in the medical institutions amounted to 144,000
and it had 20.84 beds per ten thousand.
- Education:
In 1977 Hunan had 48
ordinary institutes of higher education with 15,900 full-time teachers
and 143,700 students. It had 5,502 middle schools with 3.7713 million
students and 229,700 full-time teachers. There were 40,400 primary
schools with 299,500 full-time teachers and 7.8713 million pupils. In
Hunan the secondary education developed more rapidly than the primary
education and same as the higher education to the secondary education.
In the total population the extent of education received had been
gradually improved and the proportion of population receiving secondary
education became more and more large.
II. Population Situation
- Size
and Distribution
By the end of 1997 the total population
in Hunan was 64.65 million but
it was not evenly distributed. Most of its population spread
concentratedly on both sides of the mid and down stream river valley of
Xiang, Zi, Yuan and Li rivers and in the plane areas of Dongting Lake
in the north of Hunan from ancient times. These areas were plane with
fertile land, convenient irrigation and concentrated arable land. It
was early developed and a famous agricultural production area and the
grain base up till now with superior natural conditions. The population
density per square kilometers was 300 to 600 people. Late development,
few arable land, inconvenient traffic, inferior natural conditions and
sparse population were in the remote mountain areas in the west and
south parts of Hunan. The population density per square kilometers was
from 200 to 300 people in some regions and less than 200 in some other
regions. In a word due to the special natural environment and
topography, the center and north parts of Hunan were densely populated
and the remote areas were sparsely populated and this population
situation had remained up till now.
- Population
History
After the founding of new China, the
total population in Hunan exceeded
30 million in 1950, 40 million in 1966, 50 million in 1976, 60 million
in 1989 and reached 60.6580 million at the Fourth Population Census in
1990 and it was more than doubled of the population 29.8683 million in
1949. The population growth and change in Hunan had mainly gone through
5 stages. The first stage(1950-1957): It was a period for the
restoration and development of national economy and favorable for
population growth. During this period the contradiction between the
population growth and the development of social economy was still not
yet exposed. People neglected the importance of population control and
it caused the population rise in straight line. The birth rate in this
stage had remained at high level of more than 30‰.
Due to the improvement of medical health cause, the mortality rate was
dramatically declined, the natural increase rate rose correspondingly
and the first birth peak was formed in Hunan. The total population was
29.8683 million in 1949 and reached to 36.0324 million in 1957. The
average annual growth was 770,500 and the average annual progressive
increase was 23.70‰.The
population reproduction pattern
before liberation was
transferred from “high birth rate, high death rate and low growth rate”
to a new pattern of “high birth rate, low death rate and high growth
rate”. The second stage (1958-1961) : As a result of some mistakes made
in the economic policy and development principles of China plus the
three consecutive years of severe natural calamities, great losses
caused to the national economy especially the agricultural production
and the living standards and health of the people worsened. The birth
rate from 33.4‰ in 1957
decreased to 12.5‰ in 1961
and the death rate however from 10.41‰
in 1957 increased to 29.42‰
in 1960. The natural increase rates were –9.93‰
and –4.97‰
respectively in 1960 and 1961 and it was in the birth bust period of
population development in Hunan. The total population from 36,0324
million in 1957 decreased to 35.0798 million in 1961 and the average
annual reduction was 238,200. The special situation of “low birth rate,
high death rate and negative natural increase rate” appeared in
population reproduction but it did not represent the transferring trend
of population reproduction pattern in Hunan. The third stage
(1962-1973): A compensatory baby boom appeared in Hunan through the
overall readjustment, restoration and development of national economy.
The birth rate from 12.5‰
in 1961 increased to 41.40‰
in 1962, the death rate from 17.48‰
reduced to 10.23‰ and the
natural increase rate from –4.97‰
to 31.16‰ and even reached
to 37‰ in 1963. The second
big baby boom was formed and it had remained to early 1970s. During
this period the “cultural revolution” began in May 1966, the population
control work just started had to be suspended. The total population
increased from 35.0798 million in 1961 to 48.0979 million in 1973 and
it was the most rapid population growth period. Then it was changed to
the population reproduction pattern characterized by high birth and low
death rates resulting in a high growth rate. The fourth
stage(1974-1984) : It was a planned population controlled development
period in Hunan. China had incorporated the population development in
the development plan of national economy since 1973 and the family
planning work was popularized in the urban and most of the rural areas.
The population control policy in China inserted in the constitution in
1978. The result of population control was obvious after advocating
“one couple, one child” in China in 1980s. The birth rate fell from
29.21‰ in 1973 to 16.66‰ in 1984 while the death rate
remained constant at 7‰-8‰.The natural increase rate went
down from 21.15‰-9.46‰.The population reproduction
pattern shifted from “high birth rate, low death rate and high growth
rate” to “low birth rate, low death rate and low growth rate”. The
fifth stage (1985-1990) : It was the third birth peak period in Hunan.
The population born during the second baby boom constantly entered into
the marriage and child bearing age in the mid 1980s and this caused the
big rebound to the birth rate of population. After the practice of
household contracted responsibility system for production with
remuneration linked to output, the household production function was
enhanced, the reproductive desire of peasants strengthened and the
implementation of family planning policy could not accommodate to the
new situation, All these also had some influence to the rebound of
birth rate. From 1984 to 1990 the birth rate rose from 16.66‰ to 23.93‰,
the growth rate from 9.46‰
to 16.70‰ and the total
population increased from 55.6132 million in 1984 to 61.1089 million in
1990. The average annual growth was 916,000, the average annual
progressive growth rate was 15.83‰
and it remained constant to the mid of 1990s. Therefore the family
planning work should not be slackened in the 1990s, otherwise it would
again lead to the loss of control in population growth with serious
consequences.
- Population
Structure by Sex and Age
The sex ratio of Hunan was 105.42 in
1997. The population was 60.6580
million at the Fourth Population Census in 1990. Among them 31.4976
million for male accounting to 51.93% and 29.1604 million for female
accounting to 48.07%. The sex ratio was 108.02 and a slight decrease
than 108.07 in 1982. Hunan was one of the provinces with relatively
high sex ratio. The relatively high sex ratio at birth was the man-made
interference to some extent especially in the rural areas. The
phenomenon of relatively high sex ratio both existed in the mortality
and migration population. To look from the changes on the age and sex
ratio of Hunan in 1990, firstly the sex ratio of low age group rose,
secondly the ages for the sex ratio was less than 100 became higher and
thirdly the sex ratio of peak age period for marriage went down.
Besides the differences existed between urban and rural areas and among
regions for the sex ratio in Hunan. The sex ratio was high in the
towns, then in the cities and the lowest was in the rural areas. In
1997 the total population was 64.65 million, the population from the
age of 0-14 was 16.1580 million, from 15-64 was 44.7160 million and
from 65 and above was 4.7970 million. The total dependency ratio was
46.86%, the dependency ratio of the young was 36.13% and of the aged
was 10.73%.
- Fertility
Level and changes
Since the founding of new China, the
fertility rate of women in Hunan
had been gradually declined, especially since the mid of 1970s, with
the economic development and implementation of family planning policy,
the reproductive level of women had been reduced to a larger extent.
The women reproductive pattern changed from the natural one into the
deferred, spaced and fewer birth pattern in 1970s and from the latter
one into the family planning pattern in 1980s. It was the third birth
peak from mid 1980s to mid 1990s. The base figures of women who were in
the exuberant reproductive period were large, the fertility rate was
still relatively high, early and multi-births still occupied certain
proportions and the task for controlling the population growth was very
arduous.
In recent years the decreasing trend
of
reproductive level had appeared in Hunan, it had reduced to a lower
level in the urban areas and to some extent in the rural areas. There
was still a big gap according to the demands of control goal for
population growth and the effective measures need to be taken in order
to change the situation on the high fertility rate in some rural areas.
The birth rate was 12.59‰
and the natural increase rate was 5.6‰
in 1997 in Hunan.
- Mortality
and Life Expectancy :
Before liberation the mortality rate
was relatively high in Hunan, it
was not less than 25‰
according to estimation. Early after liberation (in 1950) it reduced to
20‰, it began to be less
than 10‰ in 1967, 9‰ in 1971, 8‰
in 1976, it was 7.03‰ in
1981, 7.23‰ in 1990, 6.99‰ in 1997 and the total mortality
rate had remained steady at about 7‰
in recent years in Hunan. The population size was constantly increased
and the number of deaths went up year by year. The male occupied larger
proportion in the total number of deaths and among the population of
deaths in 1981 and 1989, the male accounted for 52.48% and 55.46%
respectively. The infant mortality rate reached to 45.23‰ in the rural areas, 23.81‰ in towns and 27.47‰ in cities in 1990. Hunan has
250,000 old people above the age of 80 in 1982 and 375,400 in 1990. 89
people lived to be above the age of 100 in 1982, 186 people in 1990 and
the age of deaths became more and more higher.
Before
liberation the life expectancy estimated not to be above the age of 35.
After the founding of new China, with the speedy improvement on the
quality of life and health, the average life expectancy prolonged to a
large extent. It was 65.43 years old in 1981, 68.14 in 1989. There were
differences on the average life expectancy between the urban and rural
areas. It was 68.81 in cities, 70.01 in towns and 64.87 in rural areas
in 1981 and it was 70.55, 71.49 and 67.61 respectively. The average
life expectancy of the female was higher than the male.
- Marriage
Status, Family Size and Type
In 1997 Hunan had 49.5130 million
population at
the age of 15 and above, 9.7260 million unmarried, 17.3760 million of
first marriage with spouses, 841,000 remarried with spouses, 395,000
divorced and 3.2990 million bereft of spouses. The proportion of
unmarried in the population of marriage age reduced, among them the
reduction extent of the male was larger than the female, but the
unmarried ratio of the male was higher than the female. Regardless of
the male or female the population ratio in the divorced status was a
bit low and the relationship of the marriage families was relatively
stable. The population ratio in the bereft of spouse status was
reducing and the reduction extent of the bereft of spouse ratio for the
female was larger than the male. The healthy level of the population
improved to some extent. The average age for the first marriage reduced
and early marriages increased. The marriage rate went up and the
proportion of population with spouses increased. The unmarried ratio of
the male youths with relatively higher ages in the rural areas was
high. The divorced rate went up and the proportion in the number of
divorced young people evidently increased.
In 1997 the
number of family households was 18.5390 million, 1.1970 million single
households, the number of households with one generation, two and three
generations was 2.0150 million, 11.9490 million and 3.3780 million
respectively and the size of family households was 3.53 persons per
household in Hunan. The changes of the family size and patterns had the
following characteristics: (1).The number of family households
constantly increased and the average household size already reduced to
a low level. (2).The proportion of households with 3-4 people obviously
went up. (3).It was in sharp contrast that the households with two
generations going up and with three generations coming down.
- Aging of population
At the
end of 1997 Hunan had 4.4150 million aged population at the age of 65
and above, 102,000 increased than the year before, it occupied 6.83% of
the total population and approached to 7% the world “aging society” level. The
characteristics of population aging were as follows: (1). The growth
speed of the aged population was rapid and the aged population
increased faster than the total population. The total population growth
was 12.31% and the aged population growth was 25.16% in 1990 compared
with 1982 in Hunan. (2). The number of aged population was large. Hunan
took the seventh place in the total population of all provinces and
autonomous regions in China and it took the same place as regard to the
aged population.(3). It was unevenly developed. The development of
population aging was not balanced due to different
economic development level. (4). The economic development level was
extremely advanced compared with the existing situation. The economy
and culture was not yet developed in Hunan and it entered into the
process of population aging with the condition of
low average income per person. The changes of age structure for the
aged population in Hunan from 1982 to 1990 were as follows: The growth
speed of old age people was faster than the young old age people, the
proportion of the young old age people in the total aged population
decreased and the proportion of old age people increased. The average
age of the aged population went up and the age medians increased. To
look from the sex structure, the higher the age and the lower the sex
ratio. The aged population mainly centered on the rural areas and then
the cities and towns. The educational quality of the aged population
was low, the illiteracy rate was high and the divorce rate was low. The
family size of the aged population inclined to miniaturization, but it
was larger than the general family size. The employment rate of the
male aged population was much higher than the female and the employment
rate of the aged population in the rural areas was higher than in the
towns.
8.
Population Quality
In 1949 Hunan had only 5 very small
sized schools
of higher learning (one private school), 321 middle schools, 32,700
primary schools. There were 9 university students, 383 middle school
students and 6,437 primary school pupils per ten thousand people. The
attendance rate of school age children was 46.9% and the illiteracy
rate was 80% in the whole province.
In 1990 the
total population in Hunan was 60.6580 million, there were 44.7818
million above the primary school level accounting to 73.83% of the
total population. Among them 689,900 people with university level,
4.8661 million people with senior middle school level, 13.7042 million
people with junior middle school level and 25.5216 million people with
primary school level. The number of population with different
educational level per ten thousand was as follows: 1,137 with
university level, 8,022 with senior middle school level, 22,593 with
junior middle school level and 42,074 with primary school level. The
number of illiterates and semi-illiterates was 7.4256 million
accounting to 12.24% of the total population and the illiteracy rate
was 16.99%.
In 1997 Hunan had 61.5040 million
population above
the age of six and 5.9280 million illiterates and semi-illiterates. The
numbers of population above the primary, junior and senior middle
school and college level were 27.8820 million, 20.0900 million, 6.3610
million and 1.2430 million successively. The overall educational
quality of the population in Hunan was relatively low and there were
big gaps in various lines of business and in the population with
different age and sex and in different regions. There were also gaps
between the cities and rural areas. The educational quality of the male
population was higher than the female.
9.
Migration and Population Floating
The population migration in Hunan
could be
roughly divided into two different stages:
The period
from 1949 to 1981 : The reason for migration was mostly to comply with
political demands. It was mainly passive but not spontaneous migration.
The migration was mainly to the lower level such as to support economic
construction in the mountain, remote and backward areas or to send
cadres and educated youths to the countryside with difficult conditions
to temper themselves.
The period from 1982 to 1990 : The
number of
migration increased year by year, the migration from the parallel level
to mainly the higher level and the reason for the migration was mainly
the economic factors. The reasons for migration are work transfer,
assignments and employments, study and training, living with relatives
or friends, withdrawing from office and retirement, family members who
followed with the migration, in-migration due to marriages and so on.
The migration proportion of population who were engaged in industry and
trade increased to the largest extent.
10.Population,
Resource and Environment
Since 40 years establishment of China,
the rapid
growth of population and the sharp decrease of arable land in Hunan
caused great pressure to the grain production and the average grain
occupancy per person increased only from 247kg. in 1950 to 444kg. in
1990. The average energy occupancy per person was also very low, the
coal reserve per person was very low, the coal reserve per person was
only 50 tons and it was 1/17 of the coal reserve occupancy per person
in all China. The contradiction between supplies and demands of water
resources was intensified with the rapid growth of population. More
population, less arable land and inadequate resources of arable land
were the characteristics of provincial situation of Hunan and it was
also the important factor to restrict the development of population and
economy.
The main problems of population and
environment
were the ecological damage and environmental pollution. Firstly the
water losses and soil erosion , desertification, forest decrease, lack
of water resources were the main features of ecological damage.
Secondly to take cities as the center and the aerosphere, water body,
flotsam and jetsam of solid body and noise as the emphasis of
environmental pollution. These two issues threatened the life and
health of the people, restricted and obstructed the development and
leap of the economy.
With the constant deep-going of
publicity and
education for the environmental protection, the environment awareness
of the leaders at various levels and masses of the people gradually
heightened. Hunan had established 497 square kilometers flue dust
control areas and 190 square kilometers areas where noise standard
reached. The achieving rate of drinking water quality index, the
afforestation coverage rate, the industrial waste water treatment rate,
the comprehensive management rate of the industrial solid body wastes
in cities equally increased to some extent and 1,389 enterprises with
serious pollution had bee closed and tackled. Due to the inadequate
input for the environmental protection, the discharge capacity of “the
three wastes ” still increased, The situation of aerosphere and acid
rain pollution had not been evidently changed.
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