As China concludes its transformative five-year development plan in December 2025, the nation's focus on human-centric policies continues to yield measurable improvements in living standards and economic stability. This year marks a crucial transition from intensive poverty alleviation to sustainable prosperity maintenance, with rural revitalization efforts showing particularly strong results.
New data reveals that formerly impoverished counties have developed an average of 2-3 pillar industries each, driving a 6.5% year-on-year income growth for rural households in these regions during the first three quarters of 2025. Access to safe tap water in rural areas has reached 94%, up from 83% in 2020, while healthcare coverage now protects over 99% of recently uplifted populations.
The urban employment landscape shows similar progress, with 12.1 million new jobs created by November 2025 – surpassing both this year's target and 2024's performance. This resilience comes despite global trade challenges, as Chinese exporters successfully diversified markets to offset reduced U.S. demand.
"Our monitoring systems now prevent poverty recurrence as effectively as we initially eliminated it," stated a development official, highlighting China's dual approach of maintaining economic growth while safeguarding social welfare. With 12.2 million college graduates entering the workforce this year, targeted government support programs have played a crucial role in maintaining labor market stability.
