1. Name: Sichuan Province
2. Areas: 480,000 square kilometers
3. Population: 85.64 million (residents with household registration, as at end 1997)
4. Capital: Chengdu City
5. Geography: Sichuan is located in southwest China, between 97o21" - 110o21" of ease longitude and 26o03" - 34o19" of north latitude. Sichuan is situated in the central subtropical zone and borders provinces of Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Yunan, Tibet, Qinghai, Gansu and Shaanxi.
6. Natural Resource: Sichuan has a rich land resource, ranking fifth among the provinces in China. However, the per capita land area in the province is low because of the large population, which has been one of the major challenges for the province. The province is rich in its biological resources, with more than 10,000 kinds of utilizable plants, and ranks second in China in terms of its flora and fauna resources. Sichuan is an important area of forest in China, and has rich grassland and animal resources. One hundred and twenty three kinds of mineral resources have been discovered. It is also rich in water transportation, coal, natural gas and biological energies. In addition, the natural and man-made landscapes in Sichuan have also contributed to the exploitation and development of the local tourism resources.
7. Economy: In 1997, the provincial GDP reached RMB 332 billion Yuan and the gross output value of industry and agriculture reached RMB 486.5 billion Yuan. However, the per capita GDP was only RMB 4,048 Yuan due to the large population. The total volume of imports and exports was US$ 2.7 billion. The total revenue was RMB 17.3 billion Yuan. The grain yield was 35.5 million tons.
8. People's life: According to the year-end statistics of 1997, Sichuan has a total labor force of 53.68 million people, accounting for 63.7% of the total provincial population. The utilization rate of the labor force resource is 86.0%. The total wage of staff and workers amounts to RMB 38 billion Yuan and the total insurance and welfare for both the currently employed and the retired staff and workers reaches RMB 13 billion Yuan. The net per capita income of farmers is RMB 4,732 Yuan and the average money wage of staff and workers is RMB 5,626 Yuan. The per capita disposable income of urban residents is RMB 4,732 Yuan. The average consumption level is RMB 2,050 Yuan, with RMB 1,555 Yuan for rural residents and RMB 4,470 Yuan for urban residents. The number of hospital beds and medical workers per ten thousand people is 23.1 and 34.1, respectively.
9. Education: According to the year-end statistics of 1997, Sichuan has 42 institutions of higher learning with a total number of 140,451 in-school students and 16,786 teachers; 4,637 secondary schools with a total number of 2,985,859 in-school students and 210,318 teachers; and 46,917 primary schools with a total number of 8,270,855 in-school students and 330,212 teachers. The proportion of illiterate and semi-literate population has been declining year by year and it is expected that people with secondary education will account for a major part of the population with the passage of time and the development of economy and education.

Sichuan is a large province in China in terms of population size. Its total population is 85.6 million in 1997 and ranks third after Henan and Shandong Provinces. The Sichuan population is characterized by high density and extremely uneven distribution, with more population in the east and less in the west. The plane areas have a higher population density and the hilly areas have a higher population proportion. Basins and the lower reaches of rivers are places where the population concentrates. The proportion of city and town population is low and the proportion of population of agricultural households is high. Sichuan is also characterized by the many groups of ethnic minority population, which is widespread and has been increasing rapidly. Of the 56 ethnic minorities, Sichuan is home for 53.

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the population development in Sichuan has been quite fluctuating. The development can be divided into four phases according to the level of population growth, i.e. two peak periods, one valley period and one stable growth period. Phase 1 was from 1949 - end 1957, which was the first high growth period in the history of Sichuan population development. During this period, the average annual population growth rate was 2.68%. Phase 2 was from 1958 - 1962, which saw a negative population growth in the province. Phase 3 was from 1963 - 1975, which was the second peak period of the population growth. During this period, the net population growth was 2.29 million, or 2.95 percentage points. Phase 4 is from 1976 - present, which is a slow growth period. During this period, the population growth rate has notably declined as compared to phase three. In summary, the population reproduction of Sichuan has transformed from the type of high birth rate, low death rate and consequently high growth rate to the type of low birth rate, low death rate and consequently low growth rate, and has undergone four distinct phases of growth, i.e. high growth, negative growth, high growth and then moderate growth.

Since 1949, the sex ratio of the total population of Sichuan has been rising gradually, but does not show big fluctuations. The sex ratio has been in the range of 102 - 108. Regional differentials exist in sex composition. The population sex ratio is higher in heavy industry, mineral mining, forest and poor and backward mountainous areas. In 1997, of the total population of 85.64 million, 19.96 million were aged 0 - 14, accounting for 23.31% of the total population; 58.86 million were aged 15 - 64, accounting for 68.72% of the total population; 6.82 million were aged 65 and over, accounting for 7.97% of the total population. The total dependency ratio was 45.51%, and the dependency ratio of the young and of the elderly was 33.92% and 11.59% respectively.

Since 1989, the fertility of Sichuan has been characterized by the following features: (1) the general fertility level is not high, but the volume of birth is large; (2) there have been big rises and falls in the birth levels; (3) the differentials in birth levels between different regions have been notable. Policy, economic, social and demographic reproduction factors are the main causes. In 1997, the birth rate of Sichuan was 15.75‰ and the rate of population natural increase was 8.75‰. According to the demographic projections of high, medium and low variants, Sichuan population will be increasing unceasingly in the remaining years of this century and in early years of next century. According to the projections, there is a high growth period during the 1990s, with the rate of natural increase exceeding 10‰. In the last decade of the present century, the net increase of Sichuan population will reach around 10 million.

Since 1950, the mortality level in Sichuan has declined substantially. This process is characterized by the declining proportion of deaths, substantial decline in infant and child mortality, mortality pattern approaching the "J" type, the narrowing of the gap between urban and rural mortality in the younger age groups, male mortality higher than female. Among the ethnic minorities, the Yi and the Tibetan people have a higher mortality. The mortality of illiterate population is higher, and the mortality of married people is low. The mortality in Sichuan declined from 20‰ in the early stage after the founding of the People's Republic of China to 7‰ in 1997.

Based on the data on population mortality and infant mortality in 1936, it was estimated that the life expectancy then in Sichuan was only 31.2 years of age, which was lower than the then national average, i.e. 35 years of age. After the founding of the new China, the mortality level in Sichuan has been declining constantly. By the time of the 1982 national population census, the Sichuan life expectancy at birth had reached 64.4 years of age, which further increased to 69.7 years of age in 1997. It is estimated that the life expectancy at birth will reach 70.3 years of age in year 2000.

As the 1990 national population census indicated, the single population concentrated at ages lower than 24 years and early marriages were increasing; single men outnumber single women; the proportion of lifetime celibacy is high; notable regional and ethnic disparities exist in terms of single population; proportion of single population in urban areas is higher than rural areas; proportion single is higher in ethnic minorities than in Han people; proportion married is higher in women than in men higher in urban areas than in rural areas; proportion widowed is higher in women than in men higher in rural areas than in urban areas; proportion widowed is also higher in illiterate and semi-literate people; proportion widowed differs notably between occupations; proportion divorced increases with age; the differentials in divorce between urban and rural areas are evident; proportion divorced among college graduates is higher. In 1997, Sichuan had a total population of 65.679 million who were 15 years of age and over, of which 32.995 million were males and 32.684 million females. There were 6.933 million single men and 4.095 million single women. There were 23.571 million men of first marriage who had a spouse and 24.616 million women of first marriage who had a spouse. There were 636 thousand men of remarriage who had a spouse and 732 thousand women of remarriage who had a spouse. There were 339 thousand men who were divorced and 269 thousand women divorced. 1.516 million men were widowed and 2.972 million women widowed,

In terms of family size and type, Sichuan sees a smaller household size in the economically developed regions and a larger household size in regions where the economic development is backward and ethnic minorities live in compact communities. The structure of households of different size concentrate and proportion of large households is low. The household composition differs notably between urban and rural areas. In terms of family type, two-generation households have a larger proportion, and certain differentials exist in the inter-generational structure in different regions. Differentials in family type are obvious between nationalities, and the inter-generational structure of family between urban and rural areas differs remarkably. In 1997, the average household size was 3.44 in Sichuan.

From the indicators derived from the 1990 national population census, the population in Sichuan is approaching the elderly type of population. The number of the elderly is unceasingly increasing and the proportion of the elderly in the population is also rising. The trend is characterized by a rapid aging and an extremely short period of transition in the age structure from an adult type to an elderly type, which has made the issues of elderly people facing the province more serious and complicated.

In terms of the age structure of the elderly population, the younger elderly has a higher proportion, i.e. the proportion of the elderly people aged 65-69 in the total elderly population was as high as 42.07% and the elderly people aged 70-74 accounted for 28.94% of the total elderly population, which added up to 70% of the total provincial elderly population. Elderly people aged 75-84 accounted for around 25% and elderly people aged 85 and over accounted for only around 5%. Of the total provincial elderly population, rural elderly people accounted for 80% of the total. Among the elderly population, 75.38% were illiterate and semi-literate. Most elderly people were widowed or married. The employment rate of the elderly people was 20.18% and the mortality rate was about 50‰ among the elderly population.

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, especially since the opening up and reform, notable changes in the population structure of education have taken place in Sichuan. According to the 1949 statistics and data from the 1964, 1982 and 1990 national population censuses, the trend of the population structure of education is characterized by an rising number and proportion of people with medium and high educational attainment and a declining number and proportion of illiterate and semi-literate population. Educational attainment is higher in urban areas than in rural areas. However, proportion of population of high educational attainment is low and the average educational attainment is low.

Sichuan is a big region in terms of its inter-provincial out-migration. The main reasons for inter-provincial out-migration include large population and less land in the province, and the regional disparities in economic development that have caused large amount of out-migration for working and doing business. While work transfer, marriage, accompanying family members, study and training, those who go to live with relatives or friends, work and doing business, job assignment, enrollment and retirement are the main reasons for inter-provincial in-migration. A larger inter-provincial out migration has been formed because of regional disparities in economic development and marriage migration. Within the province, most migrants are rural people, notable differences exist between regions, a large proportion of the migrants is physical laborers, and the main purposes of migration are to marry and to engage in work and business. Besides, emigration is dominating international migration, while international immigrants to the province are very few.

Because of the large population and the low overall educational attainments, the population pressure on resources has been increasing. In order to cope with the increasing population and satisfy the ever rising standard of living, people have been exploring resources and the environment to an extent that the worsening of the environmental pollution and resource shortage has accelerated with the increasing population. The population burden has contained the economic construction scale and the development speed. The deterioration of the environment has counteractively exerted constraints on the survival of the people.

The family planning work in Sichuan has undergone a tortuous development process, which can roughly divided into five phases:

Family planning work in Sichuan started in 1953. In 1955, Sichuan started to gain a deepening understanding of family planning, popularize to the masses the knowledge on contraception and provide technical guidance for those who would like to control their childbearing. In 1963, according to the directives of the central committee of the Chinese Communist Party, the Provincial Party Committee of Sichuan established a joint working group consisting of agencies like the Department of Health, the Department of Consultation, the Provincial Women's Federation and the Provincial Communist Youth League. In the same year, the provincial party committee of Sichuan also set up a Leading Group on Family Planning and promulgated a circular called Comments on Carrying out Family Planning. In 1964, Chengdu Station for Family Planning Technical Guidance was established, which was the first professional institution providing technical guidance on family planning. The Great Cultural Revolution, which started in 1966, made the family planning work in the province a standstill and let childbearing drift.

In 1971, Sichuan established the Provincial Family Planning Commission and the staff members were listed on the government payroll. Starting from 1972, the rate of natural population increase was formally included in the Provincial Plan for Economic and Social Development. In 1975, the Provincial Party Committee emphasized that the "two productions" should both be regarded as crucial and put forward that the agriculture and the light and textile industry should be promoted while the population growth rate should be decreased. The top party and government officials were asked to be in charge personally, and the cadres should play a model and lead role in this. The province established a training center for technical workers in family planning, a family planning publicity and education center and a family planning research institute, in order to strengthen the family planning related training, publicity, education, exchanges, research and extension of research results in southwest China and the province.

In 1979, Sichuan was selected by the State Family Planning Commission as one of the first provinces in China to implement international cooperation projects on population control. In 1981, the Provincial Family Planning Commission summarized and disseminated the experience of "Three Three" based on the practice. In 1987, the Provincial People's Congress adopted the Sichuan Provisional Regulations on Family Planning, which was put into implementation in the whole province.

During this period, Sichuan strengthened its family planning work, which was characterized by a practical, classified and comprehensive strategy. More importance was also attached to the construction of three networks, i.e. administrative management, publicity and technical services, and family planning associations. More attention was also paid to the timely summing-up and use of the successful and typical experiences so that the family planning work could be pushed forward in full scale.

Since 1994, Sichuan has been actively exploring new ways and methods of carrying out family planning work better under the circumstances of reform, opening up and socialist market economy. The province has also been implementing conscientiously the strategy of "three firsts" and "three integrations" and combining family planning work with rural economic development and the efforts to enable the masses to become better-off. The province has broadened the field of family planning services and improved the work performance on an overall basis. The province fulfilled the state-assigned population plan during the third baby boom. In 1996, Sichuan held a provincial meeting to exchange theory and experience in implementing the strategy of "three integrations" and carried out a campaign of building up "model villages". Since 1997, the party committees and governments in Sichuan at various levels have been working hard and the strategy of "three integrations has been implemented in a sustained and healthy way. Publicity and education have been strengthened in greater width and depth. The province has been actively supporting the local family planning associations in their innovative initiatives.

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, especially since the 1970s when family planning was further promoted, the family planning work in Sichuan has achieved remarkable success:

1. The over rapid population growth has been curbed effectively and economic and social development has been promoted. From 1971 to 1997, the population birth rate declined from 38.03‰ to15.75‰ in 1997 and the rate of natural population increase declined from 28.96‰ to 8.75‰. The declining population growth has not only saved a lot of consumption expenses for the country and the society and also alleviated the pressure on daily life, education, health, employment, ecology and the environment.

2. The physical constitution and the educational attainments of the population have been improved. Before 1949, the average life expectancy at birth was only about 35 years of age, which has increased to the present 69.7 years of age. Before 1949, the provincial infant mortality rate was as high as 201‰, which had declined to 37.06‰ in the 1980s. The infant mortality rate has further declined up to present. The provincial illiterate and semi-literate population declined by 24.2% from 1982 to 1990.

3. The transformation of population reproductive type has been promoted. Before 1949, the population reproductive pattern in Sichuan was characterized by high birth rate, high death rate and high rate of natural increase. Nowadays, the population reproductive pattern has gradually transformed into low birth rate, low death rate and low rate of natural increase after the pursuit of family planning. The 1982 and 1990 national population censuses have indicated that the population age structure of Sichuan has changed from a younger type to an elderly type.

4. The conception on marriage and childbearing among the masses has been gradually renewed. With the economic development, more and more people have started to understand and support family planning and the conception of people about marriage and childbearing has been changing gradually. More and more people are practicing family planning voluntarily. The total fertility rate was as high as 6.05 in the 1950s and 5.69 in the 1960s, which declined to 2.31 in the 1980s and to about 2.0 in early 1990s.

5. International cooperation and exchanges have been enhanced. Since the 1970s, especially the 1980s, Sichuan has established broad contacts with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), World Health Organization (WHO), non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and friendly personage. Related institutions such as the provincial Family Planning Publicity and Education Center, Family Planning Research Institute, Chengdu Training Center for Technical Cadres of Family Planning and provincial Population Information Center have undertaken a number of international cooperation projects and achieved good results and the expected objectives. International exchanges, study tours, lectures, visits, training and advanced studies have all been very active.

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