China's urban population reaches record high

China's urban population has reached its highest ever level according to recent reports from China's National Bureau of Statistics.

Data from China's National Bureau of Statistics shows that people residing in towns and cities reached 750 million, which is an increase of roughly 18 million over last year's data. The population of rural areas decreased by 10 million to 620 million.

The urbanization process created a moving population of 300 million people, defined as those who have been away from their official residence for 6 months or more, an increase of 9.5 million on last year. Of the millions of people living away from where they are registered, roughly a quarter is considered to be a floating population.

The national statistics show that 54.77% of China's population now live in towns and cities. This represents the highest percentage of urban residency since the Song Dynasty (12th century) when China's urban population was equivalent to the combined figure for the rest of the world's urban inhabitants. Historical research indicates that 22% of China's population during the Song Dynasty lived in urban centers and they continued to do so until the invasion of Mongolian warlord Genghis Khan and the subsequent eradication of large towns and cities.

According to Ma Jiantang, head of the National Bureau of Statistics, the large movement of people in to the cities will help to improve resource allocation, and will stimulate economic growth. Urbanization creates demand for housing, medical insurance and education which increases general economic activity.

Such benefits were also experienced during the Song dynasty, China's last great urban age, not only for the economy itself but also for those classes that moved out of the agrarian world. With this prosperous period came scientific advancement, as well as economic reform, just as present-day China is experiencing. However, development and movement on such a scale is not always favorable and it presents many problems.

Although migration from rural areas brings many benefits it is also difficult for those moving in to the cities who often find it hard to integrate into city life. The Academy of Macroeconomic Research and NDRC (National Development and Reform Commission) acknowledge that this is a major problem that needs to be addressed.

Specialists suggest that close attention must be paid to creating industry; managing the shift of agricultural labor, developing employment and livable conditions for the urban population, and simply pursuing rapid and extensive development is not sufficient.