0051 - East China County With Lowest Population Growth Rate. The densely po...Back

East China County With Lowest Population Growth Rate. The densely populated Rudoug County inJiangsu Province, east China, has kept its natural population growth rate below 0.5 percent for eight years (1974-1981) in succession, which is the lowest in China. The county dropped the rate further to 0.38 percent is 1981. the figure is much lower than that of the natural population growth rate of less than 1.3 percent stipulated in the Sixth Five-year plan. With scarce farmland, the Rudong County leaders began to develop economy and raise the people's living standard by control 1ug the population growth ten years ago. A network of organs with a total staff of 70,000 has been formed to promote family planning form the county level down to the 57 people's communes and 794 production brigades. The family planning workers propagate the advantages of late marriage, late child-bearing, and eugenics as well as the basis knowledge of population theory in every village. At the same time, Rudong County pays attention to providing better mother and child care, education and other. Social services. Hospitals give regular checks-ups to women. Many murseries, Kindergartens and homes for the aged have been set up by communes and production brigades. Thanks to the population control, industry and agriculture in Rudong County have developed and the people's living standards improved. The total output value of agriculture, industry and sideline production is 1981 was 85.84 percent. More than that of 1973, and the average income of commune peasants increased by 42.7 percent.