240,000 out of poverty in N. China province in 2019

Students have lunch at Dingfan Primary School in Gaocun Township of Wanrong County, north China's Shanxi Province, May 16, 2019. Most of them are left-behind children, whose parents are working in towns or cities. (Xinhua/Cao Yang)

In 2014, there were about 3.29 million impoverished people in Shanxi, so far, the number has dropped to 21,000.

A total of 239,000 people in north China's Shanxi Province shook off poverty in 2019, according to local authorities.

The provincial poverty alleviation and development office said the poverty headcount ratio of the province has fallen to 0.1 percent.

The per capita disposable income for rural residents in the province's impoverished areas is estimated to grow 12 percent to 9,240 yuan (about 1,330 U.S. dollars).

In 2014, there were about 3.29 million impoverished people and 7,993 villages were rated as poor in Shanxi, and the poverty headcount ratio was 13.6 percent.

The province made great efforts to fight against poverty last year, including taking targeted poverty relief measures, reducing poverty through industries and poverty relocation projects.

So far, the number of people in poverty in the province has dropped to 21,000.

China has vowed to eradicate absolute poverty by 2020.