Housing Conditions

　　 Housing conditions have been improving continuously. During 2006, the city built residential buildings with a combined floor space of 27.468 million square meters, up 16% over the previous year. Batches after batches of garden-style, intelligence and convenience-oriented apartment buildings were put into use. By the end of 2006, the percentage of garden-style, high-end residences accounted for 4.9% of the city’s total housing, and that for common apartments accounted for 89%. The per capita living space for urban residents reached 16 square meters, up 4.2 square meters over 2000, and the per capita indoor space 22 square meters, up 5.7 square meters. In the city’s rural areas, the per capita housing area topped 60 square meters. By the end of 2006, 22,397 families had benefited from the low-rent housing policy promoted by the city government.

Personal Income

　　 The incomes of both urban and rural residents have kept rising. According to a sample survey, the average per capita annual disposable income among local urban residents reached 20,668 yuan in 2006, up 10.8% from the previous year. Of the figure, income from regular work topped 13,962 yuan, up 12.5%. The per capital annual disposable income among rural residents reached 9,213 yuan, up 10.4%. Of the figure, income from regular work reached 6,892 yuan, up 8.4%. 　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　

Personal Consumption

　　 With more income, residents' consumption spending rose further. A sample survey revealed that in 2006, the per capita annual expenditure on consumption goods and service reached 14,762 yuan among urban residents, up 7.2% from the previous year. The Engel Coefficient of the city's urban residents stood at 35.6%. The per capita consumption spending for rural residents reached 8,006 yuan, up 10.2%. The Engel Coefficient for them stood at 37.8%.

Personal Savings

　　The savings deposits of residents have been growing rapidly. As of the end of 2005, the balance of their savings deposits totaled 843.249 billion yuan, 2.3 times that of 2000 and accounting for 36.2% of the total deposit balance in the city-based financial institutions.

　　　　　　　　　　　　
Social Security

　　 The city’s social security system has covered more people and offered better services. By the end of 2006, 7.7241 million people were covered by the pension program, 4.7641 million registered for unemployment insurance, 1.3976 million joined the social security network specially designed for small townships, and 7.4764 million workers at government departments, civil service institutes and enterprises had joined the medical insurance network, which also covered freelance workers. As of the end of 2006, the minimum salary for workers was raised to 750 yuan per month, the minimum living cost subsidy to 320 yuan per month and that for rural residents to 2,560 yuan a year.