Top healthcare services

To satisfy the demand for health care, Xiamen has strengthened construction of the public health system, actively innovated the health care system and dispatched high-quality medical resources to communities, through which the people's medical service conditions have been continuously improved. Medical remedy measures as well as incentive and aid mechanisms for family planning households in rural areas are implemented smoothly and the new-type rural cooperative medical system featuring comprehensive arrangement for serious diseases has been set up. In each urban neighborhood there is a standard community health care (medical) service center. A multi-level health care system covering southeast Fujian and across the Straits has been primarily established. The number of health care organizations in the city increased from 398 in 1981 to 979 in 2010, the number of medical workers increased from 3,925 to 17,800 and the number of beds in health care organizations grew from 3,302 to 10,796. By the end of 2010 life expectancy of local residents had reached 78.91 years, and major health indicators of the people are now closer to the average level of developed countries.

Urban and rural residents

Over the past three decades, people's livelihoods in Xiamen have been comprehensively improved, realizing a historic transition from simply having enough food and clothing to leading a relatively comfortable life. With the development of the economy, urban and rural residents have more sources of income, and resident incomes have increased. The per-capita disposable income of urban residents rose from 482 yuan ($76.5) in 1981 to 29,253 yuan ($4,643) in 2010, with an annual average increase of 15.2 percent; and the per-capita net income of rural residents grew from 264 yuan ($41.9) in 1981 to 10,033 yuan ($1,593) in 2010, growing 13.4 percent each year on average.

The balance of savings deposits from urban and rural residents increased from 145 million yuan ($23.02 million) in 1981 to 134.67 billion yuan ($21.38 billion) in 2010, an average annual growth of 23.7 percent. Income growth has enhanced the consumption level of urban and rural residents. Resident consumption has upgraded from common durables to high-end durables such as houses, automobiles and information products, as well as individualized consumption such as education, tourism, culture and entertainment.

In 2010 the per-capita consumption expenditure of urban residents was 19,961 yuan ($3,168), up 43.4 fold over 1981, with an average annual increase of 14 percent; and the per-capita consumption expenditure of rural residents was 7,532 yuan ($1,196), up 32.6 fold over 1981, with an average annual growth of 12.9 percent. The Engel coefficient of urban residents dropped from 60.4 percent in 1981 to 36.4 percent in 2010, and that of rural residents from 46.9 percent to 41.3 percent. Upgrading speed of household consumer goods is accelerating, and color TVs, air conditioners, mobile phones, refrigerators and washing machines have become household necessities.

Since 2000, high-end durables such as cars and computers have entered ordinary families. At the end of 2010 every 100 urban households had 151 color TVs, 237 air conditioners, 114 water heaters, 99 washing machines, 108 refrigerators, 12 video cameras, 43 sets of stereo component systems, 245 mobile phones, 117 personal computers and 23 cars; and every 100 rural households had 115 air conditioners, 107 refrigerators, 96 water heaters, 62 washing machines, 52 personal computers, 246 mobile phones, 147 motorcycles and 10 cars.

Xiamen SEZ has made huge achievements in economic and social development and has entered a stage of accelerated urbanization. At this new historic point, the SEZ will adhere to the scientific outlook on development, adapt to the new changes of domestic and international conditions, adhere to reform and opening up, coordinate development of urban and rural areas, and ensure China's peaceful reunification in an all-round way.