Chinese rural residents are showing more satisfaction with their life than the country's urbanites in 2007, said a report from the country's top think tank.

The report, which surveyed on 2,484 urbanites and 871 rural residents, was conducted by Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The rise of satisfaction level on rural residents is partly due to the benefits they gained from rising farm product prices, said Li Peilin, director of the Academy's sociology bureau.

However, the rising farm product prices had a negative effect on urban residents, Li said.

Li also attributed the change to the increasing coverage of minimum social security in the countryside. More than 30 million rural residents benefited from the program in 2007, according to Li.

In a 2006 report, the satisfaction level of the country's urban residents was higher than those living in the countryside.

(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2008)