Farmers' cash income increased by nearly 10% in the first three quarters of 2014 compared with the same period last year.

Since the beginning of this year, the income of farmers in China has continued to grow rapidly, and the income gap between urban and rural residents has further narrowed. According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics, in the first three quarters of this year, the per capita cash income of rural residents across the country was 8527 yuan, an increase of 9.7 percent in real terms after deducting prices; and the per capita disposable income of urban residents was 22044 yuan, an increase of 6.9 percent in real terms. The per capita cash income of rural residents was 2.8 percentage points higher than that of urban residents, and the per capita income difference between urban and rural residents was 2.59, 0.05 lower than that of the same period last year.

According to the analysis of experts, the rapid increase of farmers' income is the result of the joint action of many factors, among which wage income growth makes the greatest contribution. This year, the number of farmers going out to work continues to increase, and the wage level increases steadily. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics show that at the end of September this year, the rural migrant labor force was 175.61 million, an increase of 1.69 million over the same period last year, an increase of 1.0 percent, and the average monthly income of migrant workers was 2797 yuan, an increase of 10.0 percent. Last year, farmers' wage income has become the primary source of farmers' income.