Majority of Chinese now living in cities

Tuesday 17 January 2012 20:00 EST

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More Chinese are living in cities than in the countryside for the first time in the nation's history.

The National Bureau of Statistics said urban dwellers accounted for 51.27 per cent of China's 1.34 billion people at the end of 2011. The total figure includes 252.78 million migrant workers, although it was not clear how those were classified.

China requires all citizens to be registered as either urban or rural, but the distinction has blurred as residency restrictions are loosened to keep up with migration trends.

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Majority of Chinese now living in cities

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