| Chapter 2: | Background |
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Table 2.1 Urban and Rural Population in China from 1951 to 1998 (Million)*
| Year | Urban population (%) | Rural population (%) |
| 1951 | 66.32 (11.78) | 496.68 (88.22) |
| 1960 | 130.73 (19.75) | 531.34 (80.25) |
| 1965 | 130.45 (17.98) | 594.93 (82.02) |
| 1970 | 144.24 (17.38) | 685.68 (82.62) |
| 1975 | 160.30 (17.34) | 763.90 (82.66) |
| 1978 | 172.45 (17.92) | 790.14 (82.08) |
| 1980 | 191.40 (19.39) | 795.65 (80.61) |
| 1985 | 250.94 (23.71) | 807.57 (76.29) |
| 1990 | 301.91 (26.41) | 841.42 (73.59) |
| 1995 | 351.74 (29.04) | 859.47 (70.96) |
| 1997 | 369.89 (29.92) | 866.37 (70.08) |
| 1998 | 379.42 (30.40) | 866.68 (69.60) |
*Data from China Statistic Yearbook, 1950–1998, 1951–1990.
The number of Chinese cities increased from 191 to 668 from year 1978 to year 1998. The number of towns increased from 2819 to 19,060 from year 1982 to year 1998. According to the official estimates (Table 2.1), the urban population in China has more than doubled since 1978 (8). The percentage of urban population further increased to 36.22 according to 2000 national population census (7).
There is a huge gap in income and living standards between urban and rural China. In 1985, the ratio of urban to rural income per capita was 1.86, relatively low in the period from 1978 to 1998. Even then, an urban resident had 86% more income than a rural resident on average. In most years, the ratio of urban to rural income per capita was well over 2.00 and it reached a peak of 2.86 in 1994 (8).
Urban dwelling is associated with an array of behaviors and lifestyle that is associated with obesity and other nutrition related non-chronic disease in China and some other developing countries.