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The information disclosed by the State Statistical Bureau on its official website on Feb.4 showed that in 2004, Chinese peasants' per capita net income was 2,936 yuan, an increase of 314 yuan or 12% over 2003, according to a sampling survey of 68,000 rural households in 31 provinces (districts and cities) of China.

After adjusting for inflation, the increase of the peasants' per capita net income was 6.8%, the most rapid growth since 1997.

The disclosed information indicated that the tax burden on peasants was sharply reduced. In 2004, the peasants' per capita tax burden dropped by 30 yuan to 38 yuan, falling by 44.3%.

The proportion of taxes relative to the peasants' net income decreased from 2.6% in 2003 to 1.3%, down 1.3 percentage points.

The information also revealed that the income of agricultural production and operation was the major source of the increase in the peasants' income. Income in the form of salary, an important part of the farmer's rise in income, kept going up largely because the income that peasants earned by going outside the farm to work continued to rise rapidly.

In 2004, the per capita income that peasants earned by working off the farm was up by 52 yuan to 398 yuan, a growth rate of 14.9%.

Moreover, Chinese peasants' transfer income, in particular the national subsidy, grew markedly. In 2004 Chinese peasants' per capita transfer income increased by 19 yuan to 116 yuan, a growth of 19.3%.