Statistical Communique of the People's Republic of China on the 2006 National Economic and Social Development

National Bureau of Statistics of China

February 28, 2007

In 2006, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council, the people of all nationalities of China, taking as the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of "Three Represents," adhered to the scientific approach to the economic and social development, endeavored to build a socialist harmonious society, carefully carried out various measures set by the Central Government aiming at enhancing and improving macro-control and made remarkable achievements in the national economic and social development. The major problems existing in the economic and social development are the extensive mode of economic growth and outstanding relationship within the economic structure.

I. General Outlook

In 2006, the gross domestic product (GDP) of the year was 20.9407 trillion yuan, up by 10.7 percent over the previous year. The added value of the primary industry was 2.47 trillion yuan, up by 5 percent. The added value of the secondary industry was 10.2004 trillion yuan, up by 12.5 percent. The added value of the tertiary industry was 8.2703 trillion yuan, up by 10.3 percent. The added value of the primary industry, the secondary industry and the tertiary industry contributed 11.8 percent, 48.7 percent and 39.5 percent respectively to the GDP.

The general level of consumer prices in China was up by 1.5 percent over the previous year. Of this total, the prices for service items were up by 1.8 percent. The retail prices of commodities were up by 1 percent while the producer prices for manufactured goods increased by 3 percent and the purchasing prices for raw materials, fuels and power went up by 6 percent. The prices for investment in fixed assets were up by 1.5 percent. The producer prices of farm products were up by 1.2 percent. The sales prices for housing in 70 large and medium-sized cities were up by 5.5 percent.

At the end of 2006, the total of employed people in China numbered 764 million, or 5.75 million more than at the end of 2005. Of this total, 283.1 million were employed in urban areas, an increase of 11.84 million or a net increase of 9.79 million. The urban unemployment rate through unemployment registration was 4.1 percent at the end of 2006, a drop of 0.1 percentage point over that of 2005.

At the end of 2006, China's foreign exchange reserves reached $1.0663 trillion, an increase of $247.5 billion as compared with that at the end of the pervious year. At the end of the year, the exchange rate was $1=7.8087 yuan, an appreciation by 3.35 percent over that at the end of 2005.

The various taxes collected in the whole year reached 3.7636 trillion yuan (excluding tariffs, farm land taxes and deed taxes), up by 21.9 percent or an increase of 677 billion yuan over 2005.

II. Agriculture

In 2006, the sown area of grain was 105.38 million hectares, an increase of 1.1 million hectares as compared with that in the previous year; the sown area of cotton was 5.4 million hectares, an increase of 340,000 hectares; the sown area of oil-bearing crops was 13.80 million hectares, a decline of 520,000 hectares; the sown area of sugar crops was 1.78 million hectares, an increase of 220,000 hectares; and that for vegetables stood at 18.18 million hectares, an increase of 460,000 hectares.

The total output of grain in 2006 was 497.46 million tons, up by 13.44 million tons or by 2.8 percent over the previous year; that of cotton was 6.73 million tons, a growth of 17.8 percent; that of oil-bearing crops was 30.62 million tons, down by 0.5 percent and that of sugar crops was 109.87 million tons, an increase of 16.2 percent.

The total output of meat for the year reached 81 million tons, up by 4.6 percent. Of this total, the output of pork, beef and mutton was up 4.3 percent, 5.3 percent and 7.8 percent respectively. The total output of aquatic products was 52.5 million tons, up by 2.8 percent. The total production of timber for the year 2006 reached 78 million cubic meters, an increase of 40.3 percent over the previous year.

Over 1.08 million hectares of farmland was increased with effective irrigation systems and another additional 1.28 million hectares of farmland was guaranteed by water-saving irrigation systems.

III. Industry and Construction

In 2006, the total added value of the industrial sector was 9.0351 trillion yuan, up by 12.5 percent over the previous year. The added value of industrial enterprises above the designated size was up by 16.6 percent and their sales ratio was 98.1 percent.

In 2006, the total output of primary energy reached 2.21 billion tons of standard coal equivalents, up by 7.3 percent over the previous year. The electricity generated in the whole year was 2.8344 trillion kilowatt-hours, up by 13.4 percent. The output of coal was 2.38 billion tons, up by 8 percent. The output of crude oil reached 184 million tons, up by 1.7 percent.

In 2006, the output of crude steel stood at 420 million tons, up by 19.7 percent; that of rolled steel was 470 million tons, up by 25.3 percent, that of cement was 1.24 billion tons, up by 15.5 percent; the production of 10 kinds of nonferrous metals went up by 17.2 percent; and the growth of the output of major chemical products including sulfuric acid, soda ash, caustic soda and ethylene ranged from 9.6 percent to 24.5 percent.

In 2006, the production of motor vehicles reached 7.28 million, an increase of 27.6 percent. Of this total, the production of cars reached 3.87 million, up by 39.7 percent.

The output of hi-tech products such as mobile telephones and microcomputers rose by a range of 58.2 percent to 15.5 percent. Of the industrial enterprises above the designated size, the added value of hi-tech industry in 2006 went up by 18.7 percent over the previous year.

IV. Investment in Fixed Assets

The completed investment in fixed assets of the country in 2006 was 10.987 trillion yuan, up by 24 percent over the previous year. Of the total investment, that in urban areas was 9.3472 trillon yuan, up by 24.5 percent; and that in rural areas reached 1.6397 trillion yuan, up by 21.3 percent.

In terms of different areas, the completed investment in the eastern areas stood at 5.4546 trillion yuan, up by 19.3 percent over the previous year; that in the central areas was 2.0905 trillion yuan, up by 30.6 percent; that in the western areas was 2.1916 trillion yuan, up by 25.4 percent; and that in the northeastern areas reached 1.052 trillion yuan, up by 36.2 percent.

In the urban areas, the investment by state-owned and state-holding enterprises was 4.5212 trillion yuan, up by 16.9 percent over the previous year. The investment in the primary industry was 110.2 billion yuan, up by 30.7 percent; that in the secondary industry was 3.976 trillion yuan, up by 25.9 percent; and that in the tertiary industry was 5.2611 trillion yuan, up by 23.3 percent.

In 2006, the investment in real estate development was 1.9382 trillion yuan, up by 21.8 percent. Of this total, the investment in commercial buildings reached 1.3612 trillion yuan, an increase of 25.3 percent. The completed floor space of commercial buildings reached 530.19 million square meters, down by 0.6 percent. The total sales of commercial buildings reached 2.051 trillion yuan. Of this total, the sales of the forward delivery housing was 1.4366 trillion yuan, accounting for 70.0 percent.

Qinghai-Tibet railway was fully put into operation on July 1, 2006. A total amount of 11.9 billion yuan worth of investment was completed for the first phase of the eastern and central routes of South-to-North Water Diversion Project. The total completed investment in the Three Gorges Project stood at 131.3 billion yuan. The power generators, which were currently in operation, had produced 49.2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2006, with an accumulated electricity generation of 146.1 billion kilowatt-hours since the very beginning.

V. Domestic Trade

In 2006, the total retail sales of consumer goods reached 7.641 trillion yuan, up by 13.7 percent over the previous year. In terms of different areas, the retail sales of consumer goods in cities reached 5.1543 trillion yuan, up by 14.3 percent and the retail sales of consumer goods at and below county level was 2.4867 trillion yuan, up by 12.6 percent. In terms of different sectors, the sales of the wholesale and retail industry reached 6.4326 trillion yuan, up 13.7 percent; the sales of the lodging and catering industry was 1.0345 trillion yuan, up 16.4 percent, and the sales of the other industries was 173.9 billion yuan, up 2.3 percent.

Of the total retail sales by wholesale and retail enterprises above designated size, the sales of motor vehicles was up by 26.3 percent, petroleum and related products up by 36.2 percent, cultural and office goods up by 14.5 percent, telecommunication equipment up by 22 percent, electric and electronic appliances for household use and audio-video equipment up by 19.2 percent, building and decoration materials up by 24 percent, daily necessities up by 15.7 percent, furniture up 21.3 percent, food, beverages, tobacco and liquor up by 15.5 percent, clothing up by 19.2 percent, cosmetics up by 18.6 percent, and gold, silver and jewelry up by 28.5 percent.

VI. Foreign Economic Relations

The total value of imports and exports in 2006 reached $1.7607 trillion, up 23.8 percent over the previous year. Of this total, the value of exports was $969.1 billion, up 27.2 percent, and the value of imports was $791.6 billion, up 20.0 percent. China had a trade surplus of $177.5 billion, an increase of $75.5 billion over the previous year.

The year 2006 witnessed the establishment of 41,485 enterprises with foreign direct investment, down by 5.8 percent; and the foreign capital actually utilized was $69.47billion, down by 4.1 percent. Of the total foreign direct investment actually utilized, the share of investment in manufacturing was 57.7 percent, that in the real estate was 11.8 percent, that in the financial sector was 9.7 percent, that in the leasing and business service was 6.1 percent and that in the transportation, storage and post service was 2.9 percent.

In 2006, the overseas direct investment (non-financial investment) by Chinese investors was $16.1 billion, up by 31.6 percent over the previous year.

In 2006, the accomplished business revenue through contracted overseas engineering projects was $30 billion, up by 37.9 percent, and the business revenue through overseas labor contracts was $5.4 billion, up by 12.3 percent.

VII. Transportation, Post, Telecommunications and Tourism

The added value of the transportation, storage, post and telecommunication sectors reached 1.2032 trillion yuan in 2006, up 8.3 percent over the previous year.

The volume of freight handled by ports above the designated size throughout the country totaled 4.56 billion tons, up 15.6 percent over the previous year, of which, freight for foreign trade was 1.57 billion tons, up 16.8 percent. Container shipping handled 93 million standard containers, up by 23 percent.

The total number of motor vehicles for civilian use reached 49.85 million (including 13.99 million tri-wheel motor vehicles and low-speed trucks) by the end of 2006, up 15.2 percent, of which, private-owned vehicles numbered 29.25 million, up 23.7 percent. The total number of cars for civilian use stood at 15.45 million, up by 27.2 percent, of which, private-owned cars numbered 11.49 million, up by 33.5 percent.

The turnover of post and telecommunication services totaled 1.5321 trillion yuan, up 25.6 percent over the previous year. Of this total, post services accounted for 72.9 billion yuan, up 16.9 percent, and telecommunication services 1.4592 trillion yuan, up 26.1 percent. By the end of 2006, with 30.67 million newly installed lines of office switchboards, the total capacity reached 500 million lines. The year also saw 17.37 million new fixed telephone subscribers to bring the total number to 367.81 million by the end of the year. This included 251.39 million urban subscribers and 116.42 million rural subscribers. Mobile phone users numbered 461.08 million by the end of 2006, with 67.68 million new subscribers in the year. In total, the number of fixed and mobile phone users reached 828.89 million, an increase of 85.05 million as compared with that at the end of 2005. On average, phone coverage is 63 sets per 100 Chinese people.