Shanghai's Q1 per capita disposable income highest in China

BEIJING - China's financial hub Shanghai outperformed other provincial regions in per capita disposable income in the first quarter (Q1) of this year, official data showed.

Average per capita disposable income in Shanghai reached about 18,704 yuan ($2,777.7) in Q1, the highest among China's provincial level regions, followed by Beijing and Zhejiang, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

China's average per capita disposable income stood at 8,493 yuan in the first three months, which rose 6.8 percent year on year in real terms.

A total of nine provincial level regions outperformed the national average, including Beijing, Tianjin, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Fujian, Liaoning and Shandong.

The western region saw relatively lower per capita disposable income but faster growth in this field, official data showed.

China's average per capita disposable income is expected to grow further thanks to the country's steady economic growth and the reform on individual income tax, which has cut 855 yuan per capita in tax on average for Chinese people in Q1.

The country aims to double the per capita income of its urban and rural residents by 2020 from 2010 levels to build a moderately prosperous society.