Wealth is generated in cities, making urbanisation a key to economic development. However, urbanisation has caused air and water pollution, land degradation and loss of biodiversity. It has forced millions of people to live in slums without clean water, sanitation and electricity.

This is due to convenience, an urban population has access to a vast array of services, for example, health, social services, food, education, and recreational services, all are readily accessible in urban areas; this access makes life much more comfortable and raises living standards compared to rural areas.

Urbanisation has negative consequences on health due mainly to pollution and overcrowded living conditions. It can also put added pressure on food supply systems. The pressures of urban living may lead to crime and other consequences of social deprivation.

Urbanisation has led to changes in patterns of human activity, diet, and social structures in China, with profound implications for non-communicable diseases—eg, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Urban growth results from both rural-urban migration and natural increase from births in the cities exceeding deaths. Urbanisation is part of economic development which is rapidly increasing in China. This results in rising per capita incomes and demand for non-agricultural goods.

Urbanisation also contributes to economic growth through more rapid productivity growth in cities (Commission on Growth and Development 2009). The higher the level of GDP per capita, the smaller is the increase in the urbanisation rate for a given increase in GDP per capita.

An increase of 1 percentage point in China’s degree of urbanisation means 14 million more people become urban residents. An increase from 56.1% to 60% will mean growth in markets for household appliances, furniture, decorations, and in services such as restaurants.

In 2007, it had 670 cities, almost ten times as many. Increasing urbanization is the result of migration from villages, as well as natural increase, leading to the expansion of small towns which have been reclassified as cities. About half of China’s population now lives in cities.

The results indicate that for the whole of China, population urbanization produces a significant negative effect on the environmental impact, while land urbanization has a small, but not statistically significant, positive effect.

Urban families are generally smaller than their rural counterparts, and, in a reversal of traditional patterns, it is the highest level managers and cadres who have the smallest families. Late marriages and one or two children are characteristic of urban managerial and professional groups.

Urbanization in China increased in speed following the initiation of the reform and opening policy. As of 2020, 60.6% of the total population lived in urban areas, a dramatic increase from 17.92% in 1978. By 2010, the OECD, based on Functional Urban Area (FUA), estimates there are currently 15 megacities in China.

60 percent

Shanghai

Hong Kong

The Most Livable Cities in China – Index

• Hangzhou.
• Xiamen.
• Kunming.
• Qingdao.
• Nanjing.
• Shenzhen.
• Zhuhai.
• Beijing.

Yunnan province

Zhouzhuang

• Fenghuang. Nestled at the foot of verdant mountains on the edges of the Tuojiang River, Fenghuang was hailed as the most beautiful town in China by New Zealand-born writer and political activist Rewi Alley.
• Heshun.
• Shiwei.
• Yangshuo.
• Tongli.
• Dunhuang.
• Hongcun.
• Dali.

Feast Like A King for 30 Yuan: The 10 Cheapest Tourist Cities in China

• Chengdu. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
• Harbin. Harbin is known as China’s Moscow and is an extremely enchanting city to visit in the colder months.
• Chongqing.
• Jilin.
• Shenyang.
• Zhangjiakou.
• Xi’an.
• Lanzhou.

For most entry-level ESL teachers, an average salary is around 10,000 RMB to 15,000 RMB per month ($1500 ~ $2180), usually with your accommodation allowances provided on top of that. You might be surprised that with this amount of salary, you can afford not only a comfortable lifestyle, but also save a decent amount!

From sprawling metropolises to sparsely populated countryside, the price of travel in China is as diverse as its attractions. Large cities are generally higher in price than the countryside, but overall China is surprisingly affordable.

Because of the high volume of materials and resins ordered by Chinese companies, the pricing would be as low as it could be. Labor is abundant and cheap in China because even though 300,000 have risen into the middle class and above, this still leaves one billion people living at the poverty level.

Here are 10 of the cheapest countries to live and work this year, according to meaningful travelers like YOU.

1. Vietnam. For those wanting to live and work in an exotic place, but not pay a fortune, Vietnam is any budget travelers dream.
2. Costa Rica.
3. Bulgaria.
4. Mexico.
5. South Africa.
6. China.
7. South Korea.
8. Thailand.