It is estimated the per-capita GDP in the economically booming Jiangsu Province in East China rose 17 percent over the 2005 level to more than US$3,500 for 2006.

According to sources with the provincial economic and trade commission, it took Jiangsu only nine years to raise the per-capita GDP to US$3,500 from the US$1,000 level in 1997.

The province's GDP is estimated at more than 2 trillion yuan (US$256 billion) for the whole of last year, and the per-capita GDP at more than 28,000 yuan (US$3,589).

The sources said Jiangsu urbanites' per-capita disposable income is estimated at more than 14,000 yuan (US$1,795) for 2006, while the per-capita pure income at some 5,800 yuan (US$744) for rural residents in the province.

Jiangsu is striving to realize US$2,000 in per-capita disposable income for urbanites and 1,000 US$ in per-capita pure income for rural dwellers.

(Xinhua News Agency January 5, 2007)