Fact check: China's population is not uneducated and poor in its majority

1. Summary of the results

The statement about China's population requires significant nuance. While China has made remarkable progress in both education and poverty reduction, the reality is complex:

Education:

• Higher education enrollment reached 59.6% in 2022, with new workforce entrants receiving an average of 14 years of formal education ^[1]
• National literacy rates improved dramatically from 66% in 1982 to 97.2% in 2020 ^[2]
• 95.5% of the population completes nine-year compulsory education, and 89.7% of children attend pre-school ^[1]

Poverty:

• China has lifted nearly 800 million people out of extreme poverty over 40 years ^[3]
• However, as of 2020, approximately 13% of China's population still lived below the upper middle-income country poverty line of $5.50 per day ^[4]
• Premier Li Keqiang revealed that 600 million people were living on less than 1000 yuan ($140) monthly in 2020 ^[4]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original statement overlooks crucial regional disparities:

• Significant educational gaps exist between regions: Yunnan province had a 6.14% illiteracy rate in 2023, while Tibet's literacy rate was just 29% ^[2]
• The poverty reduction journey shows dramatic improvement: from 97% rural poverty in 1981 to less than 1% extreme poverty by 2020 ^[5]
• Private education investment is significant, with 18.05% of students attending non-state schools ^[1]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The statement oversimplifies a complex situation:

• It presents a false binary between "educated/wealthy" and "uneducated/poor," ignoring the vast spectrum in between
• It fails to acknowledge the dramatic improvements while also overlooking persistent challenges
• The World Bank's recognition of China's economic transformation ^[3] suggests that international organizations have a more nuanced view

Those who might benefit from this oversimplified narrative include:

• Chinese government officials wanting to showcase development success
• Economic analysts promoting investment in China
• Critics of China who might use regional disparities to challenge the country's development claims

The reality requires acknowledging both the remarkable progress and persistent challenges in China's development journey.