1. Name: Jilin Province
2. Areas: 187,400 square kilometers
3. Population: 26,0015 million
4. Capital: Changchun
5. Geography: Located in the northeastern part of China and between 121° 38’- 131° 19’ east longitude and 42° 52’- 46° 10’ north latitude, Jilin borders the far east region of Russia and D.P.R.Korea to the east while surrounded by Liaoning to the south, Heilongjiang to the north and Inner Mongolia to the west. Jilin has a continental monsoon climate. Minority groups in this province include Korean, Man, Hui and Mongolian.
6. Natural Resources: Jilin is abundant with forest resources. As one of the major forest areas in China, Changbai Mountain Area produces top grade pine trees and is home to various precious traditional Chinese herbs such as ginseng, pilose antler as well as native products such as mushrooms, fungi and rare animal breeds. The province is also rich in mineral resources such as coal, iron, copper and gold which are widely dispersed over the province.
7. Economy: In 1997, GDP of Jilin totaled RMB144.691 billion, with a per capita amount of RMB5,504. Total fiscal revenue reached RMB8.285 billion and expenditure RMB16.775 billion. Total value of fixed assets reached RMB36.451 billion. One of the most economically important provinces, Jilin is also one of the main commodity grain producers in China. In 1997, total agricultural output value was RMB58.481 billion and total grain output 18.083 million tons. Industry is a major economic sector of Jilin. In 1997, total industrial output value reached RMB159.677 billion. The Changchun-based First Automobile Works (FAW) is one of China’s most important auto manufacturers. Because of its relatively short history of economic development, the province faces austere social and economic pressures caused by rapid population growth and uneven economic development.
8. People’s life: By the end of 1997, Jilin had a working population of 12.377 million, of whom 5.009 million were state employees. The urban unemployed numbered 87,605; average wage of staff and workers was RMB5,664; the average consumption was RMB4,665 for urban residents and 1,609 in rural areas; floor space averaged 9.59 square meters for urban and 18.64 for rural residents; savings deposit of urban and rural residents totaled RMB107.133 billion by year-end; and there were 36.5 hospital beds and 52.0 doctors and nurses for every 10,000 people.
9. Education: In 1997, there were 40 institutions of higher learning in Jilin with a faculty of 15,610 and combined enrollment of 110,167. Other indicators: 2,229 secondary schools involving 110,514 teachers and 1,584,860 students; 10,029 primary schools with 149,396 teachers and 2,800,668 pupils. In terms of educational level, the number of people with college education increased the fastest, followed by those with a junior or senior high school diploma. The number of people with primary school education grew the slowest and their proportion is dropping in relation to the total population. The number of illiterate and semi-literate people decreased continuously (171,700 in 1997, or 8.13% of total population). Generally speaking, however, the province remains underdeveloped educationally, especially with its higher education. Great disparities exist between women and men, between urban and rural areas, and between different regions. These were the main factors affecting educational and economic development of the province.

1. Size and Distribution

The total population of Jilin in 1997 was 26.0015 million, ranking 21st in China. Population density was 132 per square kilometer and distribution was uneven. In general, the central area of the Songhua River Basin is more densely populated than the eastern and western parts of the region. Ethnically, 44 groups live in the province.

2. Population History

Jilin’s population evolved through five stages. The first, 1949-1959, saw a net increase of 3.045 million (an annual increase rate of 2.67%), with uneven distribution. The second, 1960-1973, witnessed an increase of the total population, topping 20 million in 1973 (an annual growth of 2.83%). the third period, 1974-1979, total growth slowed down (1.2%-1.6%), increasing by 279,000 annually. The fourth period, 1983-1990, was marked by moderate growth (1.29%), with an annual increase of 305,000. The fifth period, 1991-1997, saw a yearly growth of 170,000 with an average increase rate of 0.81%. Throughout the 1990s, its population has continued growing, although at slower rates and reaching an all-time low.

3. Population Structure by Sex and Age

Sex ratio of Jilin has steadily decreased since 1949 toward a balanced level. Between 1949-1961, that ratio stood at over 110; from 1962-1970, it dropped to 107-109; from 1971-1990 it undulated between 104 to 106; and between 1991-1997, it remained in a steady state. According to sampling survey statistics, the ratio in 1997 was 103.77. In age structure, according to the 1990 census, the proportion of low age groups in Jilin declined while that of working-age groups increased, as did women of childbearing age and the aged. These indicate that Jilin has evolved into an “adult” society. Sampling survey statistics also show that in 1997, children (aged 0-14) accounted for 20.88% of the total population while the aged made up 6.20%. In other words, the aged-youth ratio was 29.67% and total dependency ratio was 37.13% (28.63% for the young and 8.50% for the aged). These data suggest that the dependency ratios of both the young and aged were on affordable levels, conducive to economic development and the betterment of people’s living standard.

In 1949, the newly born population in Jilin was 321,000; in 1989, that figure was 459,000. Over those four decades, a total of 19.117 million people were born (478,000 births annually). The birth rate in 1989 was 18.81per thousand, compared with 31.84 in 1949; 48.39 in 1954 (the highest) and 11.84 in 1984 (the lowest). The sampling survey of demographic change put the newly born population in 1997 at 320,000, representing a birth rate of 12.22 per thousand and a natural increase rate of 0.68 per thousand. Throughout the 1990s, the total number of births has decreased annually along with the natural increase rate -- less than 7 per thousand since 1995. In 1997, both the birth rate and natural increase rate hit an all-time low. By various estimates, the population of Jilin will continue to grow in the next 10 years, peaking at 26.164 million by 2010.

5. Mortality and Life Expectancy

This has gone through five periods. The first, 1949-1954, mortality rate dropped from 30 per thousand in pre-1949 years to 12.9 in 1949 and 10.4 in 1954. The second, 1955-1958, witnessed little change in mortality (hovering around 9). The third, 1959-1964, saw dramatic fluctuations, with mortality rate bouncing back to 13.4 in 1959, dropping to 9.4 in 1963 and rising again to 12.6 in 1964. The fourth period, 1965-1968, saw the mortality rate around 9 per thousand. The last period, 1969-1990, witnessed a relatively low mortality rate from 6.1 to 6.7 per thousand. By 1997, the rate further dropped to 5.42 and it will continue to fall in the future. Average life expectancy, on the contrary, grew from 1958 to 1989 by 17.73 years, with an annual increase of 0.57. By 1990 average life expectancy across the province reached 68.51 years (67.16 for male and 70.11 for female).

6. Marriage Status, Family Size and Type

Data of the sampling survey reveal that in 1997, 75.76% of those aged 15 and above had spouse and 17.97% were single, with the divorce rate a mere 1.29%. Compared with 1996, the ratio of people with spouse increased while that of both unmarried and divorced people decreased. This indicates that most of the marital relationships in Jilin were stable. The number of households increased rapidly, reaching 748,800 in 1997. However, family size was decreasing, averaging 3.37. This is due largely to the increase of one-child families. The family planning program has reduced the traditional extended family to nuclear families.

7. Aging of Population

During the first and second national censuses, Jilin saw an annual increase of 16,900 of people aged 60 and over. That figure rose to 31,100 annually during the second and third national censuses and to 45,200 during the third and fourth censuses. The growth of elderly population was faster than that of the total population. The total population increased 1.18 times during the 37-year period from 1953 to 1990 with an average growth rate of 1.9% while the population aged 60 and over increased 1.63 times during the same period with a growth rate of 2.65%. The proportion of aged population to the total population rose from 6.01% in 1953 to 7.24% in 1990, with an increase of 1.23 percentage point, to 6.2% in 1997, lower than the national average. The sex ratio of elderly population in the province was higher than the national average, and the age structure was younger than national average, with a high rate of illiteracy. It is predicted that the aging of population may slow down from 1990 to 2000, but from 2000-2010, the aging process will speed up and, from 2010-2040, it will further gain momentum, with the elderly population reaching 5.618 million. Therefore, the province will face a dual pressure of total population growth and an aging population.

8. Migration and Population Floating

According to the fourth national census, the emigration rate of Jilin was higher than the national level while the immigration rate was lower. In 1997, for the first time the immigration rate (21.36 per thousand) outstripped emigration rate (19.46 per thousand). Most migrants move from counties to cities. In 1982, the floating population was 588,400. By 1990 the proportion of migrants to total population rose from 1.2% to 2.07%, higher than the national level. However, the growth of migration rate was lower than national level. About 45% of migrants move to Changchun and Jilin, and women and rural households are more inclined to migrate than men and urban households.

9. Population, Resources and Environment:

The total population of Jilin is projected to reach 27.46 million by 2000, while per capita arable land decreased from 6.65 mu in 1949 to 2.36 mu in 1991 and per capita grain grew slower than total grain production. Energy and water resources are insufficient and lower than the national average in per capita terms, while industrial and water pollution is serious.

Jilin’s family planning program has evolved through five stages:

1. Introduction of program in the 1950s:

As evidence of excessive population growth, the province’s birth rate in 1954 was as high as 48.38 per thousand. To bring that rate down, the provincial government issued “instructions on contraception” and began to provide publicity and services of the program. That campaign came to a halt, however, because of criticisms directed at Ma Yinchu’s population theory after 1958.

2. Implementation and setback in the 1960s:

In 1970, Jilin revolutionary committee released a “report on strengthening of the family planning program”. In 1971, Jilin family planning institutions were restored and in December 1974, provincial family planning conference clearly pointed out that population growth must be well planned and brought into national economic development programs, and a fundamental guideline was also established at the conference that socialist constructions must be accompanied by family planning. That was a relatively big breakthrough in ideology. In 1974, the revolutionary committee issued a “decision on better implementation of the family planning program”, putting forward clear requirements on family planning policies and plans began to be made for population development.

In September 1979, the province issued “regulations regarding family planning”, in which late marriage, late and healthier birth were encouraged and suggested one couple have one child. It was the first comprehensive regulation of its kind since family planning was practiced in Jilin province. With the resumption and development of family planning in the 1970s, population growth in the whole province presented a trend of descending and the birth rate dropped to 13.89 per thousand in 1979. Therefore, the excessive growth of population was put under control then.

1. Further development in the 1980s:

In April 1983, Jilin Family Planning Office was renamed as Jilin Family Planning Committee. Large scale FP publicity campaigns were launched throughout the province during the first half of the 1980s. During the Sixth Five-year Plan period (1981-1985), annual population growth dropped by 21.4% from 347,519 in 1980 to 273,249 in 1985 while the natural increase rate decreased from 10.02 per thousand in 1980 to 6.59 in 1985. During the second half of the 1980s, leaders at all levels paid greater attention to family planning. Construction of family planning institutions at all levels was strengthened, and improvements were made in management and service capacities of FP cadres and workers. A management system based on law was taking shape. Therefore, despite the third baby boom in 1986-1989, Jilin had fulfilled its population goals for successive four years. The natural increase rate decreased steadily.

2. Further improvement in the 1990s:

Family planning work in Jilin entered a brand-new stage in the 1990s. Between 1990-1993, several publicity campaigns focusing on various aspects of the program had been conducted to promote the family planning work. During this period, the family planning program had achieved great results in Jilin. The birth rate dropped from 19.47per thousand in 1990 to 15.28 in 1993 and natural increase rate from 12.93 per thousand to 8.97, fulfilling its goals for eight consecutive years.

Overall, Jilin has made great achievements in FP over the past 40 years. A fundamental change has been made to people’s views on marriage and childbearing, and women’s age at first marriage is rising. During 1971-1993, a total of 9.5 million births were averted. The momentum of excessive population growth was basically put under control, creating a relaxed environment for its socio-economic development and modernization.

1. Chinese Population across the New Century, China Statistical Publishing House, 1994
2. China Family Planning Encyclopedia, Editor-in-chief: Peng Peiyun, China Population Publishing House, 1997
3. Statistical Yearbook of Jilin, 1998, China Statistical Publishing House, 1998
4. Province-specific Atlas of the People’s Republic of China, China Cartographical Publishing House, 1999
5. Chinese Population in 1997, China Statistical Publishing House, 1998
6. China Population Yearbook, 1998, compiled by the Population Institute of China’s Academy of Social Science
7. China Family Planning Yearbook, 1998

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