国家统计局有关负责人透露,中国居民收入差距近几年呈扩大趋势,贫富差距虽属正常范围,却已明显接近“警戒线”。据悉,中国1996年城乡居民家庭人均基尼系数为0.3左右,比上年的0.16上升了近一倍。基尼系数是国际上通用的测量贫富差距的方法,一般认为这一数字达到0.4以上是收入分配不平等程度扩大的标志。这位官员认为,中国居民收入差距扩大的主要症结在于社会保障制 Relevant officials from the National Bureau of Statistics revealed that the income gap of the Chinese residents has been expanding in recent years. Although the gap between the rich and poor is within the normal range, it has clearly approached the “cordon”. It is reported that in 1996, the per capita Gini coefficient of urban and rural households in China was about 0.3, nearly double the figure of 0.16 in the previous year. The Gini coefficient is a commonly used method for measuring the gap between rich and poor in the world. It is generally accepted that a figure of 0.4 or above is a sign of the widening of inequality in income distribution. The official believes that the main reason for the widening income gap among Chinese residents lies in the social security system