The income gap between Wuxi's urban and rural residents has closed up slightly as both saw a rise in income in 2015.
The average per capita disposable income for urban residents rose 8.1 percent to 45,129 yuan ($6,947), with rural figures up 8.5 percent to 24,155 yuan. The ratio between the two average incomes is 1.87, the smallest difference in south Jiangsu.
To date, the city's rural development has entered a "mid-to-late period" with most farmers working in non-agricultural enterprises whose salaries account for more than 60 percent of their total income. The employment rate of the rural labor force exceeds 95 percent steadily with per capita income reaching 15,333 yuan, up 9.1 percent from the previous year.
The increase in wages has come from the introduction of emerging industry enterprises with advanced production capacity and strong profitability, said a government official. The city has also recently raised its minimum wage from 1,630 yuan to 1770 yuan a month, from the start of 2016.
Property income in the form of deposits, securities and rents has become the fastest-growing part of farmers' income with a 10.7 percent increase. The speeding-up of urban-rural integration has improved rural infrastructure and standards on land transactions, producing plenty of farmer landlords and shareholders.
Dengxiang Community in the city's Huishan district has invested more than 10 million yuan in road construction, kindergarten renovation and park building. The community and government funds have really improved quality of life, said a local resident.
Urban-rural integration enables rural residents to utilize the social security system and receive a pension at the age of 60. The average social welfare income for rural residents reached 2,680 yuan last year, up 10.2 percent.
