Fixed asset investment in 39 severely quake-affected counties (2008-2017)

A decade has passed since a devastating disaster struck Wenchuan, the epicenter of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Recently, Sichuan Provincial Bureau for Statistics released a report on economic development in the most-affected areas.

According to economic indicators, the area’s overall strength has improved dramatically. The 39 severely affected counties achieved a total GDP of about 683 billion yuan in 2017— a threefold growth since 2008. Their average annual growth rate was 11.8 percent, 0.8 percentage points higher than the provincial level. The GDP of the 10 most seriously affected counties totaled 165.75 billion yuan last year, 2.3 times more than that of 2008. Growth rate per year across these counties hit 13.1 percent, 2.1 percentage points higher than that of the entire province. Of them, Maoxian, Wenchuan, Beichuan and Pingwu counties all achieved GDP growth of  at least 15 percent.

The annual per capita GDP of the affected region has grown significantly  as well. The average for the 39 counties reached 42,188 yuan in 2017, three times that of 2008. For the 10 most seriously affected counties, their annual per capita GDP was 47,324 yuan, 2,634 yuan higher than the provincial average and 3.5 times that of 2008.

Residents in the affected area have a rising sense of gain. The per capita disposable income in the 39 counties reached 30,870 yuan in 2017 with an annual growth of 12.4 percent, 2.9 times that of 2008. When it comes to rural residents, per capita disposable income across the area was 14,430 yuan, 3.1 times that of 2008. The figure exceeded 10,000 in the 10 most seriously struck counties.

The disaster-affected region has taken on a new look as urban and rural construction continues to accelerate. Actions have been taken to relieve poverty, upgrade sectors, improve the environment of old villages and preserve the cultural legacy. The urbanization rate of the 39 counties reached 47.8 percent in 2017, 11.8 percentage points higher than that in 2008.

Meanwhile, the disaster-affected region has strived to expand demand for investment and consumption. The outlook of economic development there is promising. Between 2009 and 2017, the 39 earthquake-stricken counties had invested more than 3.5 trillion yuan in fixed assets, an annual growth rate of as much as 17.9 percent. The number for the year of 2017 alone hit 542.4 billion yuan, 4.4 times that of 2008. The sales volume of retail products in these 39 counties totaled 294 billion yuan in 2017, fourfold that of 2008.

(edited by MA YUHONG)