The figure for the number of Chinese people living in poverty could double to 80 million if the government adopts proposed standards for measuring economic status, Xinhua News Agency reported yesterday.

Beijing might raise the bar for what qualifies as "impoverished" from per-capita annual income of 1,067 yuan ($152) or less to one of 1,300 yuan ($186) or less. The 20-percent increase would roughly double the number of people who qualify as impoverished in the capital.

The new figure, which accounts for cost-of-living and exchange rates, is equivalent to one US dollar a day, Xinhua quoted the Poverty Alleviation Office under the State Council as saying. The office announced it would solicit suggestions from 26 of its subsidiaries nationwide.

Designating the line at a per-capita annual income of 1,300 yuan or less would for the first time bring China's poverty level in line with the international standard.

China had previously measured the poverty standard according to changes in per-capita income. The low-income level was defined by an annual per-capita income of 1,067 yuan or less a year in 2007, and that for abject poverty was pinned at 785 yuan ($112) or less per year.

(Agencies via China Daily April 14, 2008)