[Urbanization issue in recent years in China].

This paper discussed the changes from 1980 to 1987 in the proportion of urban population and the proportion of non-agricultural population in the total population of China. The definition of urban areas developed in 1955 referred to areas with a population of over 2000 with over 50% engaged in non-agricultural occupations. This definition changed in 1964 and in 1983. The current definition is areas with more than 20,000 residents and over 10% non-agricultural population. The urban population grew from 10.6% in 1960 to 19.7% in 1984. Even though there were annual fluctuations, the slow and gradual. From 1980 to 1987, urban population rapidly increased from 19.4% to 46.6%. The most important cause of this growth was a change in the definition of urban areas. This change resulted in upgrades of towns to cities and expansion of city boundaries. Thus, the population of urban areas increased and the proportion of non-agricultural population reduced. The redefinition of urban areas mostly affected the population size of cities in 1983 and of towns in 1984. In 1984, a new regulation was issued on the eligibility of a status changes from an agricultural to a non-agricultural population. As an effect of this new regulation, non-agricultural population increased substantially, but the growth trend showed a subsequent decline due to further policy changes and a return of migrants who failed to established themselves in cities.