Rural incomes increase in Guangdong

GUANGZHOU: Income growth of farmers exceeded that of urban residents in Guangdong last year, taking the income gap to the narrowest since 2004, provincial bureau of statistics indicated yesterday.

Despite the financial crisis, the per capita net income of farmers in Guangdong reached more than 6,440 yuan ($942.89) last year, an increase of 775.7 yuan, or 13.8 percent year-on-year; while that of urban residents came to 19,733 yuan, up by 11.5 percent in 2008.

Farmers are enjoying a bigger growth rate of income than urban residents in two successive years for the first time.