“China average daily salary is RMB 111.99???”; Chinese netizens challenge government statistics.

News reported by The Beijing News:

According to the data released on Apr.9th by National Bureau of Statistics, in year 2008, the average yearly salary of employed Chinese urban citizens is RMB 29,229 [Sherry: USD 4,298; all the exchange rate I’m using here is according to Apr.22nd USD/RMB=6.8], which is RMB 111.99 (USD 16.5) per work day. Compared to 2007, it has increased 17.2% which is RMB 4,297 (USD 632). However, the increase rate has dropped 1.5%. After deducting the price-rise factor, the actual increasing rate is 11.0%.

In terms of region difference, 9 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) employed citizen average salary were higher than the national average; while 22 provinces’ were lower. If calculated by 4 regions, then the yearly average salary (from high to low) is Eastern China RMB 34,316 (USD 5,046), Western China RMB 25,602 (USD 3,765), North-Eastern China RMB 25,101 (RMB 3,691), and Middle China RMB 24,390 (USD 3,587).

In terms of growth rate by regions, there are 14 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) increased more than the national average rate of 17.2%. And 17 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) are lower than the average growth rate.

If break into 3 areas. government departments, enterprises and institutions, then the government departments have the highest average yearly salary of RMB 33,869 (USD 4,981); 1.16 times of the national average. The 2nd is institutions, RMB 29,758 (USD 4,376); 1.02 times of the national average. The lowest is enterprises, RMB 28,359 (USD 4,170), which equals to 97% of the national average.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, this kind of government department and institution high than average, enterprises lower than average situation hasn’t been changed for years.

Comments from tianya.cn:

xmros
Our public servants [Sherry: Chinese saying of government officials, but more of a sarcastic remark] are lying again. Why don’t they statistic the unemployment rate of in China? So many people can’t even have a decent meal.

肥龙在地
I’m lower than the average, I’m holding our country back, and my heart hurts.

拉出去割了
It is impossible the National Bureau of Statistics showed us the real numbers. Ridiculous.

动车上的天价盒饭
Is the daily average number 111.99 in Japanese Yen or Rupees?

中世纪最后的骑士
I’m working in a small advertising agency, and my salary is only RMB 1800 a mouth (USD 265).

meng1688
I’m working as manager lever, having a monthly salary of RMB 8,500 (USD 1,250), which is around RMB 300 (USD 44) per day.

xjsbjz0102
I can’t understand how the National Bureau of Statistics got these data. I have been working for 22 years and my monthly salary is only RMB 2400 (USD 353). There are quite a lot of my colleagues who are making less than me. Did those officials only use their own salary numbers to get the average? But if that’s the case, then it should be more!

sdzbwg
I’m living in central city in Shandong province, and having a monthly salary of RMB 800 (USD 118), and I’m working 26 days per month and 10 hours per day.

危言盛世
I’ve been working for 21 years and my salary is only a little more than RMB 1100 (USD 162) per month. I work as a junior statistician…

myg121
Objectively speaking, according to actually work days, most employed citizens can reach the daily average. Although sometimes the Statistics Bureau’s data is inaccurate, this one is kind of close to the fact.

mayi_ant
Just take a brief look then forget it.

13590857288
I have been working for 12 years and I’m still below the average. I’m such a loser. I’m holding our country back. (Sigh) I should hit my head on a toufu to kill myself (Sherry: Everybody knows we can’t expect to suicide by hitting head onto a toufu, it is way too soft. This is a popular sarcastic saying among Chinese, most want to express a feeling of helpless.)

乱起用户名
I work 340 days per year and my monthly salary is around RMB 1500 (USD 220.5). I feel sorry for our government. I think I should start taking a 2nd, 3rd and 4th job…

魉呼天地
I’m in Shanghai, my monthly salary is RMB 3,300 (USD 485). And after taking out all the tax and insurance, I can get 2/3 on hand. Those people around me are getting pretty much the same.

我实在太不靠谱了
The National Bureau of Statistics is writing a science fiction again. But the data they made up is way too wide of the truth.

nhgfj
I’m working 80 hours a week now, but still below the average. I decide to work overtime from now on, increasing to 100 work hours per week!

春光灿烂猪头肉
Reaching the average line is such a long term goal!

我要吃冷锅鱼头
I’m a university teacher in Chengdu, Sichuan. My salary plus year bonus is still only average RMB 100 (USD 14.4) per day.

syxswwww
Why doesn’t the Statistics Bureau try to find out the average salary difference between government officials, normal Chinese workers and Chinese farmers? They have nothing to do anyway.

吴克非
I work in western China as a teacher. My daily salary is RMB 41 (USD 6).

伊__面
I have to study hard to be my family’s first one making more than the average.

人面兽心男
In China, everyday is holiday – April Fool’s Day!

雀巢
It is hard to understand how they get this data.

shjtly
The officials of National Bureau of Statistics should go back to their middle school and study maths again.

giroro
I’ve reached this standard.

However, if we take the price rising of consumer goods and houses, even if the daily salary is multiplied several times, normal citizens are still suffering.

Comments from sina.com:

新浪网友(浙江)/(from Zhejiang)

It is pointless to have Bureau of Statistics. Why not get rid of it and put that extra budget into the social security, medical insurance and country subsistence allowances.

上海手机用户/(from Shanghai)
According to the way National Bureau of Statistics calculates, it is still possible for average monthly salary to reach RMB 2900 (USD 426). I am a migrant worker work temporarily for a state-owned company in Shanghai. My yearly income is RMB 40,000 (USD 5,882) last year. The formal employees in my company should at least have a yearly income of more than RMB 50,000 (USD 7,353). As far as I know, the salary in our company is quite low compare to other companies in our industry. I think if Statistics Bureau calculates it by different industries, the result would be clearer.

新浪网友(山东淄博)/(from Zibo, Shandong)
I’d like to ask those officials in National Bureau of Statistics, how much is your average daily salary?

新浪网友(河北沧州)/(from Changzhou, Hebei)
The way National Bureau of Statistics did please see below:
1+1=11

新浪网友(山东)/(from Shandong)
I’ve been graduated for 4 years and what I get every month is around a total of RMB 2,200 (USD 323.5). It seems that I still haven’t reached the standard. However, my salary is already pretty high among my schoolmates. I live in a developed coastal city as well, I can’t imagine that even I am below the average. Seems that our country is much more developed than I thought, and our citizens are living a very happy life.

新浪网友(湖北)/(from Hubei)
It is very Chinese characteristics – some people should be allowed to prosper before others!

新浪网友
It is fooling our normal citizens. I am making RMB 800 (USD 117.6) per month, and my boss is making RMB 20,000 (USD 2,941) per month. Use these two numbers to get an average, then I am making RMB 14,000 per month. What a pipe dream! So disappointing!

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Tagged as: salary, statistics