By July 25 this year, 1.642 million rural residents in Ningxia have been covered by a new pilot pension program, according to a press conference on the program by the local government.

Ningxia started the pilot program on June 1. All permanent residents above the age of 16 in Ningxia including rural residents and urban residents who are not insured by corporate pension, can voluntarily apply for pilot program.

Residents can voluntarily pay from 100 to 2000 yuan and correspondingly local governments at all levels gives subsidies ranging from 30 to 200 RMB respectively.