Ensuring and Improving People’s Livelihood in the Course of Chinese-Path Modernization

Common prosperity for all the people is an essential feature of Chinese-path modernization. Ensuring and improving people’s livelihood is not only an important manifestation of this essential feature but also a key yardstick for measuring the effectiveness of modernization. Looking back at the 14th Five-Year Plan period [n1], China has woven the world’s largest, most densely tiered, and most extensively covered safety net for people’s livelihood. Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan period [n2], we must take the guiding principles of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) [n3] as our guide and think prospectively and systematically about the new course of ensuring and improving people’s livelihood.

全体人民共同富裕是中国式现代化的本质特征。民生保障和改善不仅是这一本质特征的重要体现，更是衡量现代化成效的重要标尺。回望“十四五”，中国已经织就全球最大、梯度最密、覆盖最广的民生安全网。展望“十五五”，必须以党的二十届四中全会精神为指引，前瞻性、系统性思索民生保障和改善的新进程。

I. The Important Position of Livelihood Work in Chinese-Path Modernization

一、民生工作在中国式现代化建设中的重要地位

In Chinese-path modernization, people’s livelihood is paramount. All the work of the Party and the government is aimed at enabling the people to lead a happier life. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC [n4] pointed out: “Ensuring and improving people’s livelihood through development is a major task of Chinese-path modernization.” The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC emphasized that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, economic and social development must adhere to a people-centered approach, take meeting the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life as the fundamental goal, intensify efforts to ensure and improve people’s livelihood, and solidly promote common prosperity for all the people. This series of important statements profoundly reveals the inherent unity between livelihood work and Chinese-path modernization, highlighting the important position of livelihood work in the construction of Chinese-path modernization.

中国式现代化，民生为大。党和政府的一切工作，都是为了老百姓过上更加幸福的生活。党的二十届三中全会指出：“在发展中保障和改善民生是中国式现代化的重大任务。”党的二十届四中全会强调，“十五五”时期经济社会发展必须坚持人民至上，以满足人民日益增长的美好生活需要为根本目的，加大保障和改善民生力度，扎实推进全体人民共同富裕。这一系列重要论断深刻揭示了民生工作与中国式现代化的内在统一性，凸显了民生工作在中国式现代化建设中的重要地位。

Livelihood work is the starting point and the ultimate goal of Chinese-path modernization. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC emphasized: “Realizing the people’s aspiration for a better life is the starting point and the ultimate goal of Chinese-path modernization.” This statement indicates that within the grand narrative of Chinese-path modernization, livelihood work is the value thread and practical beacon that runs through the entire process. Placing livelihood work at the strategic height of being the starting point and ultimate goal of Chinese-path modernization reflects the profound people-centered nature of Chinese-path modernization. Only by consistently ensuring and improving people’s livelihood and solidly promoting common prosperity can we gather the mighty force of the people and propel Chinese-path modernization steadily and far.

民生工作是中国式现代化的出发点和落脚点。党的二十届四中全会强调：“实现人民对美好生活的向往是中国式现代化的出发点和落脚点。”这一论断表明，在中国式现代化的宏大叙事中，民生工作是贯穿始终的价值主线与实践航标。将民生工作置于中国式现代化出发点和落脚点的战略高度，体现了中国式现代化深厚的人民性。只有持之以恒地保障和改善民生，扎实推进共同富裕，才能凝聚起磅礴的人民伟力，推动中国式现代化行稳致远。

Livelihood work is the cornerstone for the stable development of Chinese-path modernization. Xi Jinping emphasized: “When people’s livelihood is stable, people’s hearts are stable, and society is stable.” Livelihood work is like the solid cornerstone supporting the edifice of Chinese-path modernization; it carries the people’s aspiration for a better life and is also crucial for maintaining the long-term stability and security of the country. Solid livelihood work can effectively alleviate social anxiety, resolve social conflicts, enhance the people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security, and enable Chinese-path modernization to advance steadily on a solid livelihood foundation.

民生工作是中国式现代化稳定发展的基石。习近平强调：“民生稳，人心就稳，社会就稳。”民生工作如同支撑中国式现代化大厦的稳固基石，承载着人民对美好生活的向往，更维系着国家的长治久安。扎实的民生工作，能够有效疏解社会焦虑，化解社会矛盾，增强人民群众的获得感、幸福感、安全感，促使中国式现代化在坚实的民生根基上稳步前行。

Livelihood work is the engine driving Chinese-path modernization. On the one hand, strengthening livelihood work can increase residents’ consumption capacity and willingness, stimulate domestic demand growth, and provide a strategic fulcrum for building a new development pattern. Currently, China is striving to build a new development pattern with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other. Domestic demand is a key link in domestic circulation, and the source of domestic demand lies in the continuous improvement of people’s livelihood. When the people have more stable jobs, higher incomes, and better social security, they dare to consume and are willing to consume, and their consumption potential can be fully released. On the other hand, strengthening livelihood work can cultivate and form new economic growth points. Livelihood investments in areas such as education, healthcare, elderly care, childcare, culture, and sports can themselves give rise to a huge service-oriented consumer market, cultivate new economic growth points, and become an important driving force for Chinese-path modernization.

民生工作是推动中国式现代化的动力引擎。一方面，加强民生工作，能够提高居民的消费能力和消费意愿，拉动内需增长，为构建新发展格局提供战略支点。当前，我国正着力构建以国内大循环为主体、国内国际双循环相互促进的新发展格局。内需是国内大循环的关键环节，而内需的源头活水在于民生的持续改善。当人民群众有更稳定的工作、更高的收入、更完善的社会保障，他们才敢于消费、乐于消费，消费潜力才能被充分释放。另一方面，加强民生工作能够培育形成新的经济增长点。教育、医疗、养老、育幼、文化、体育等领域的民生投入，本身就能催生庞大的服务性消费市场，培育新的经济增长点，成为中国式现代化重要推动力。

II. Major Achievements in Livelihood Work during the 14th Five-Year Plan Period

二、“十四五”时期民生工作的重大成就

The 14th Five-Year Plan period is the first five-year plan period after China completed the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and achieved the First Centenary Goal [n5], seizing the opportunity to embark on a new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country. The Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan proposed 7 livelihood indicators, accounting for more than one-third of the 20 main indicators, the highest proportion in any five-year plan. During this period, facing a complex and severe international environment and arduous and heavy tasks of domestic reform, development, and stability, the Party and the state always adhered to a people-centered development philosophy. By continuously increasing investment, improving systems, and implementing targeted policies, multiple livelihood indicators exceeded the targets of the 14th Five-Year Plan. Historic achievements were made in key areas such as education, employment, and social security, ensuring that the fruits of reform and development benefit all the people more and more fairly.

“十四五”时期是我国全面建成小康社会、实现第一个百年奋斗目标之后，乘势而上开启全面建设社会主义现代化国家新征程的第一个五年规划期。“十四五”规划《纲要》提出7项民生指标，在20项主要指标中占比超过1/3，是历次五年规划中最高的。这一时期，面对复杂严峻的国际环境和艰巨繁重的国内改革发展稳定任务，党和国家始终坚持以人民为中心的发展思想，通过持续加大投入、完善制度、精准施策，实现多项民生指标超过“十四五”规划目标，在教育、就业、社会保障等关键领域取得了历史性成就，推动改革发展成果更多更公平惠及全体人民。

(I) Education Achieves Simultaneous Improvement in Equity and Quality

（一）教育实现公平与质量同步提升

Education is an important cornerstone for national rejuvenation and social progress, and also an effective channel for social mobility. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the state adhered to the strategy of prioritizing education development, continuously increased investment in education, and promoted the simultaneous improvement of educational equity and quality.

教育是民族振兴、社会进步的重要基石，也是畅通社会流动的有效渠道。“十四五”期间，国家坚持教育优先发展战略，持续加大教育投入，推动教育公平与质量同步提升。

Significant results were achieved in expanding the quality of basic education. In a global comparison, China’s basic education has reached the average level of high-income countries, providing a solid guarantee for equitable education. First, the popularization and universal access of preschool education significantly improved. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, “the gross enrollment rate for preschool education increased by 27.5 percentage points from 64.5% in 2012 to 92%, and this year, one year of free preschool education benefited over 12 million children.” Second, compulsory education achieved basic balanced development. All urban and rural compulsory education students were exempted from tuition and miscellaneous fees, and “basic balance was achieved in 2,895 counties nationwide for compulsory education.” Third, the education guarantee mechanism for special groups became more robust. For special groups such as children who migrate with their parents and school-age children with disabilities, local governments, based on actual conditions, adopted various methods such as expanding the supply of public school places, optimizing enrollment procedures, building a “multi-level placement system,” and implementing a “rehabilitation-education integration” model to effectively guarantee the educational rights of these special groups.

基础教育扩优提质成效显著。在世界范围内作比较，中国基础教育已经达到世界高收入国家平均水平，为公平教育提供了坚实保障。第一，学前教育普及普惠水平显著提高。“十四五”时期，“学前教育毛入学率从2012年的64.5%，提高了27.5个百分点，达92%，今年学前一年免费惠及1200多万名儿童”。第二，义务教育实现基本均衡发展。城乡义务教育学生全部免除学杂费，“义务教育全国2895个县域实现基本均衡”。第三，针对特殊群体的教育保障机制更加健全。针对随迁子女和适龄残疾儿童等特殊群体，各地根据实际情况通过扩大公办学位供给、优化入学流程、构建“多层次安置体系”、推行“康教结合”模式等多种方式，切实保障这些特殊群体的教育权利。

Progress was made in improving the quality and expanding the capacity of higher education. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, higher education achieved a historic leap, not only building the world’s largest higher education system but also achieving significant results in terms of equalization and quality improvement. First, higher education entered the stage of universalization. “The gross enrollment rate for higher education increased from 30% in 2012 to the current 60.8%, more than doubling, entering the internationally recognized stage of universalization.” Second, progress was made in the balanced development of higher education. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, “the special enrollment plan for key universities continued to be implemented for students from rural and formerly impoverished areas, enrolling a total of 1.235 million people, promoting equity in enrollment opportunities between regions and urban and rural areas.” Third, the supply of high-quality higher education continued to increase steadily. From 2024 to 2025, the state orderly promoted the expansion of high-quality undergraduate education, increasing the undergraduate enrollment scale of “Double First-Class” [n6] universities for two consecutive years, with a cumulative expansion of nearly 36,000 students over the two years, effectively implementing the people’s demand to “get into a good university.”

高等教育提质扩容取得进展。“十四五”时期，高等教育实现历史性跨越，不仅建成世界最大规模高等教育体系，而且在均衡化、优质化方面取得显著成效。第一，高等教育迈入普及化阶段。“高等教育毛入学率从2012年的30%，达到现在的60.8%，提高了一倍多，进入世界公认的普及化阶段。”第二，高等教育的均衡化发展取得进展。“十四五”期间，“继续面向农村和脱贫地区考生实施重点高校专项招生计划，累计录取123.5万人，促进了区域和城乡入学机会公平”。第三，优质高等教育供给持续稳步增加。2024—2025年，国家有序推进优质本科扩容，连续两年增加“双一流”建设高校本科招生规模，两年累积扩招近3.6万人，切实把人民群众“上好大学”诉求落到实处。

(II) Overall Stable Employment Situation, Continuous Optimization of Employment Structure

（二）就业形势总体稳定，就业结构持续优化

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China implemented an employment-first strategy, forming a systematic policy framework of fiscal incentives, tax and fee reductions, and financial support. It built a full-chain support system including phased reductions and exemptions of social insurance premiums, unemployment insurance premium refunds for maintaining stable employment, and employment and entrepreneurship subsidies. This achieved an overall stable employment situation, continuous optimization of the employment structure, and steady improvement in employment quality.

“十四五”期间，我国实施就业优先战略，形成了财政激励、税费减免、金融支持的系统性政策框架，构建了社保费阶段性减免、失业保险稳岗返还、就业创业补贴等全链条支持体系，实现了就业局势总体稳定、就业结构持续优化、就业质量稳步提升。

The overall employment situation remained stable, continuously consolidating the bottom line of people’s livelihood. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, facing the century-defining pandemic [n7] and the pressure of economic transformation, the Party and the state, in accordance with the times and circumstances, introduced a series of employment support policies. A total of over 470 billion yuan was spent on employment subsidy funds, and 138.9 billion yuan was distributed as refunds for maintaining stable employment. A dual-wheel-driven model of “macroeconomic policy underpinning + micro-level entity activation” was innovatively implemented, successfully weaving a dense employment safety net and maintaining a good overall stable situation. New urban jobs over the five years exceeded expectations, and the unemployment rate returned to a reasonable range. As of the end of August, a cumulative total of 59.21 million new urban jobs had been created, exceeding the target of 55 million. The average surveyed urban unemployment rate for the first four years was 5.3%, lower than the expected control target of 5.5%.

就业局势总体稳定，不断筑牢民生底线。“十四五”期间，面对世纪疫情与经济转型压力，党和国家因时因势出台一系列就业支持政策，累计支出就业补助资金超过4700亿元，发放稳岗返还资金1389亿元，创新实施“宏观政策托底+微观主体激活”的双轮驱动模式，成功织密了就业安全网，保持了总体稳定的良好局势。五年新增就业超预期，失业率回归合理区间。截至8月底，城镇新增就业累计达到5921万人，超额完成5500万人的目标任务。城镇调查失业率前四年均值为5.3%，低于5.5%的预期控制目标。

The employment structure has been continuously optimised, gradually matching development needs. The continuous optimisation of the employment structure is an important indicator of high-quality economic development. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period [n8], China’s employment structure has been continuously optimised in such dimensions as urban-rural distribution, industrial matching and quality improvement, forming a positive interaction with development needs. On the one hand, the urban-rural employment pattern has been reshaped at an accelerated pace, and the capacity of urban employment to absorb labour has been significantly enhanced. By the end of 2024, the number of employed persons in urban areas nationwide reached 473.45 million, an increase of 10.74 million compared with the end of 2020, with their share rising to 64.5%, while the share of employed persons in rural areas fell to 35.5%. The trend of the labour force concentrating in cities and towns has matched the needs of new-type urbanisation and industrial upgrading. On the other hand, the contingent of skilled personnel has been continuously expanded, driving the ongoing optimisation of the employment structure. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the growth of China’s skilled personnel contingent became an important driving force for optimising the employment structure. Through the upgrading of the talent supply to match industrial demand, it has pushed the employment market towards a skill-intensive, quality-oriented transformation. At present, the total number of skilled workers in China has exceeded 220 million, of whom more than 72 million are highly skilled personnel, representing a significant increase compared with the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period [n9].

就业结构持续优化，逐渐适配发展需求。就业结构持续优化是经济高质量发展的重要表征。“十四五”期间，我国就业结构在城乡分布、产业适配、质量提升等维度持续优化，与发展需求形成良性互动。一方面，城乡就业格局加速重塑，城镇就业吸纳能力显著增强。2024年末，全国城镇就业人员达47 345万人，较2020年末增加1074万人，占比升至64.5%，而乡村就业人员占比降至35.5%。劳动力向城镇集聚的趋势适配了新型城镇化与产业升级的需求。另一方面，技能人才队伍不断壮大，推动就业结构持续优化。“十四五”时期，我国技能人才队伍的壮大成为推动就业结构优化的重要驱动力，通过人才供给升级与产业需求的适配，推动就业市场向技能密集、质量导向转型。目前，我国技能劳动者总量已超2.2亿人，其中高技能人才突破7200万人，较“十三五”末期实现显著增长。

The quality of employment has steadily improved, further interpreting the warmth of development. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China steadily improved the quality of employment in terms of workers’ income growth, rights and interests protection, and other aspects, achieving notable results. On the one hand, wage income has increased steadily. In the first four years of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the main-engine status of wage income in residents’ income was further consolidated. From 2021 to 2024, the per capita annual wage income of national residents rose from 19,629 yuan to 23,327 yuan, and its share of per capita disposable income increased from 55.9% to 56.5%. On the other hand, the system for protecting workers’ rights and interests has been further improved, with substantive progress made especially in responding to new forms of employment and in governing wage arrears. In response to new forms of employment, the state issued guiding opinions and special policies on the protection of the rights and interests of workers in new forms of employment, clarifying enterprises’ responsibilities for labour protection, improving the basic rights and interests protection systems for labour remuneration, rest, and labour safety, and innovatively introducing occupational injury protection, fastening a “safety belt” for workers in new forms of employment. At the same time, China has continuously improved mechanisms for labour relations consultation and coordination, supervision and law enforcement, etc., and strengthened the governance of wage arrears through whole-chain supervision and extraordinary measures. Since the 14th Five-Year Plan period, “more than 10,000 major cases of wage arrears have been publicly disclosed and dealt with, and more than 14,000 cases suspected of the crime of refusing to pay labour remuneration have been transferred, with malicious wage arrears effectively curbed”.

就业质量稳步提升，进一步诠释发展温度。“十四五”期间，我国从劳动者收入增长、权益保障等方面稳步提升就业质量，取得显著成效。一方面，工资性收入稳步增加。“十四五”前四年，工资性收入在居民收入中的主引擎地位进一步巩固。2021—2024年，全国居民人均工资性收入从19 629元增至23 327元，占人均可支配收入的比重从55.9%增长到56.5%。另一方面，劳动者权益保障制度更加完善，尤其在应对新就业形态和治理欠薪方面取得实质性进展。针对新就业形态，国家出台新就业形态劳动者权益保障的指导意见和专项政策，明确企业的劳动保护责任，健全劳动报酬、休息、劳动安全等基本权益保障制度，创新推出职业伤害保障，为新就业形态人员系上“安全带”。与此同时，我国不断健全劳动关系协商协调、监察执法等机制，通过全链条监管和超常规举措，强化欠薪治理。“十四五”以来，“公布和处置重大欠薪违法行为1万多件，移送涉嫌拒不支付劳动报酬罪案件超过1.4万件，恶意欠薪行为得到有效遏制”。

(III) The social security system with distinct Chinese characteristics has been further improved.

（三）具有鲜明中国特色的社会保障体系更加健全

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China’s social security undertaking entered a fast track. The systemic, holistic and synergistic nature of reform has been continuously strengthened. Historic breakthroughs have been made in coverage, institutional construction, and guarantee effectiveness. The social security system with distinct Chinese characteristics has been further improved.

“十四五”时期，我国社会保障事业发展进入快车道，改革的系统性、整体性、协同性不断增强，在覆盖范围、制度建设、保障效能等方面取得历史性突破，具有鲜明中国特色的社会保障体系更加健全。

Coverage has achieved a historic leap, and the universal security net has been woven ever tighter. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China deeply implemented the universal insurance participation plan, continuously expanding coverage by taking key groups as breakthrough points, and built the world’s largest and most functionally complete social security system. At present, the numbers of people covered by basic old-age insurance, unemployment insurance, and work-related injury insurance nationwide have reached 1.072 billion, 246 million, and 302 million respectively, an increase of more than 73 million, more than 29 million, and more than 34 million compared with the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period. The coverage rate of basic old-age insurance has increased from 91% to over 95%, exceeding the 95% coverage target set in the 14th Five-Year Plan. Since the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee [n10] first proposed the “universal insurance participation plan”, the state has continuously promoted the inclusion of groups such as migrant workers, flexible-employment personnel, and workers in new forms of employment into the security system, demonstrating the implementation and effectiveness of the principle of “ensuring coverage for all who should be covered”. In addition, “centering on recording a lifetime, guaranteeing a lifetime, and serving a lifetime, a five-level social security management system and service network from the central government down to provinces, cities, counties, and townships (sub-districts) has basically taken shape, extending to urban communities and the vast rural areas”. The continuous expansion of China’s social security coverage has been highly praised by the international community.

覆盖范围实现历史性跨越，全民保障网越织越密。“十四五”时期，我国深入实施全民参保计划，以重点群体为突破口持续扩大保障覆盖面，建成世界上规模最大、功能完备的社会保障体系。目前，全国基本养老、失业、工伤保险参保人数分别达到10.72亿、2.46亿和3.02亿人，较“十三五”末分别增加7300多万人、2900多万人和3400多万人，基本养老保险参保率从91%提高到95%以上，超额完成“十四五”规划设定的95%参保目标。自党的十八届五中全会首次提出“全民参保计划”，国家持续推动将农民工、灵活就业人员、新就业形态从业人员等群体纳入保障体系，彰显了“应保尽保”原则的落地见效。此外，“围绕记录一生、保障一生、服务一生，从中央到省、市、县、乡镇（街道）的五级社会保障管理体系和服务网络基本形成，并延伸到城市社区和广大农村”。我国社会保障范围不断扩大得到国际社会的高度评价。

Institutional reform has been advanced in depth, and the pattern of unified coordination has basically taken shape. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China’s social security system reform entered a new stage of systemic integration and coordinated efficiency. The top-level design of the system has been continuously strengthened, and breakthroughs have been made in reforms in key areas. First, a crucial step was taken in the national pooling of old-age insurance, and the capacity for adjusting social security funds was greatly enhanced. In January 2022, the national pooling system for basic old-age insurance for enterprise employees was launched and implemented, breaking the long-standing barriers of provincial-level pooling, establishing a central adjustment system, and achieving the rational allocation of funds nationwide. Second, the pooling level of unemployment and work-related injury insurance was significantly raised, making the operation of the system more efficient. By the end of 2023, unemployment insurance had achieved provincial-level pooling, and work-related injury insurance had fully achieved unified fund collection and disbursement at the provincial level, enhancing the mutual-aid and risk-pooling function of social security. Third, the systemic and coordinated nature of the social security system has been continuously strengthened, and the connection between systems has become smoother. On the one hand, institutional barriers were broken down through top-level design, enhancing systemicity. The state has focused on building a multi-level, multi-pillar social security system, strengthening policy coordination between different systems, departments, and regions. On the other hand, operational processes were optimised through institutional innovation, improving coordination, and promoting smoother transitions and connections between various social security systems. For example, in areas such as the transfer and continuation of old-age insurance relationships and the direct settlement of medical insurance for cross-regional medical treatment, efficient and convenient connection mechanisms have been established, reducing the procedures and obstacles for the public. The linkage and coordination between social assistance, social welfare and other systems and social insurance have also become closer, forming a strong joint force for ensuring people’s livelihood.

制度改革纵深推进，统筹统一格局基本成型。“十四五”时期，我国社会保障制度改革进入系统集成、协同高效的新阶段，制度顶层设计持续加强，关键领域改革取得突破性进展。首先，养老保险全国统筹迈出关键步伐，社保基金调剂能力大幅提升。2022年1月，企业职工基本养老保险全国统筹制度启动实施，打破了长期存在的省级统筹壁垒，建立起中央调剂制度，实现基金在全国范围内的合理调配。其次，失业、工伤保险统筹层次显著提升，制度运行更加高效。2023年底，失业保险实现省级统筹，工伤保险全面实现基金省级统收统支，社保互助共济功能增强。再次，社会保障制度的系统性协调性不断增强，制度衔接更加顺畅。一方面，通过顶层设计打破制度壁垒，增强了系统性。国家着力构建多层次、多支柱的社会保障体系，强化了不同制度、部门、区域间的政策协同。另一方面，通过机制创新优化运行流程，提升了协调性，促使各项社会保障制度之间的转换接续更加顺畅。例如，在养老保险关系转移接续、医保异地就医直接结算等方面，建立了高效便捷的衔接机制，减少了群众办事的环节和障碍。社会救助、社会福利等制度与社会保险的联动配合也更加紧密，形成了对民生保障的强大合力。

The effectiveness of guarantee has been precisely enhanced, and the background colour of people’s wellbeing has become brighter. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China’s social security undertaking not only achieved “broad coverage” but also continuously exerted effort on “effectiveness” and “precision”, effectively enhancing the people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security. First, the level of guarantee benefits has been continuously raised. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, “the financial subsidy standard for residents’ medical insurance was increased from 580 yuan per person per year to 700 yuan, and the national urban and rural subsistence allowance standards were both raised by about 20%”. Basic pensions have been raised continuously, with adjustments paying attention to tilting towards elderly retirees and retirees in remote and difficult areas, ensuring that the basic living standards of retirees keep pace with economic and social development. Second, the precision of guarantee services has been significantly enhanced. With the help of technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence, social security has achieved a transformation from “flood irrigation” to “precision drip irrigation”, continuously turning pain points in people’s livelihood into fulcrums of happiness, laying a solid foundation for solidly advancing common prosperity. For example, the establishment and improvement of a dynamic monitoring and early warning mechanism for low-income populations enables early detection, early intervention, and early assistance for people encountering urgent difficulties. Third, focusing on the guarantee needs of key groups, through a series of preferential policies and special measures, the guarantee gap between different groups has been continuously narrowed. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China basically built a tiered and classified social assistance system, extending the scope of guarantee from traditional subsistence allowances and persons in extreme difficulty to low-income marginal households and families with rigid expenditure difficulties, and initially established a national dynamic monitoring and regular assistance mechanism for people in difficulty, ensuring that people in difficulty have a place to seek help and receive timely assistance.

保障效能精准提升，民生福祉底色更鲜亮。“十四五”时期，我国社会保障事业不仅实现了“广覆盖”，更在“效能”“精准”上持续发力，切实增强了人民群众的获得感、幸福感、安全感。一是保障待遇水平持续提高。“十四五”时期，“居民医保财政补助标准从每人每年580元增加到700元，全国农村、城市低保标准均提高20%左右”。基本养老金实现连续上调，在调整中注重对高龄退休人员和艰苦边远地区等退休人员的倾斜，确保退休人员基本生活水平与经济社会发展同步。二是保障服务精准度显著增强。借助大数据、人工智能等技术，社会保障实现从“大水漫灌”向“精准滴灌”转变，持续把民生痛点变成幸福支点，为扎实推进共同富裕奠定了坚实基础。例如，低收入人口动态监测预警机制的建立和健全，对遭遇急难情况的群众能够做到早发现、早介入、早救助。三是聚焦重点群体保障需求，通过一系列倾斜性政策和专项措施，不断缩小不同群体间的保障差距。“十四五”时期，我国基本建成了分层分类的社会救助体系，保障范围从传统低保、特困人员延伸至低保边缘人员、刚性支出困难家庭，初步建立了全国困难群众动态监测和常态化帮扶机制，确保困难群众求助有门、受助及时。

III. Challenges Facing Livelihood Work in the 15th Five-Year Plan Period

三、“十五五”时期民生工作面临的挑战

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China’s livelihood work achieved remarkable results, but there are still many shortcomings and weaknesses in the field of people’s livelihood. Livelihood work in the 15th Five-Year Plan period will still need to address complex challenges.

“十四五”时期我国民生工作取得了显著成就，但民生领域仍存在不少短板弱项，“十五五”时期民生工作还需应对复杂挑战。

(I) New Livelihood Issues Arising from the Deep Transformation of the Population Structure

（一）人口结构深度转型带来的民生新课题

The acceleration and deepening of the aging process place enormous pressure on the old-age security and service system. As of the end of 2024, China’s population aged 60 and above reached 310 million, accounting for 22.0 percent of the total population, making it the largest elderly population in the world. According to projections, by 2030 the proportion of the population aged 60 and above in China will reach approximately 25 percent. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period [n11], the pressure of aging will continue to intensify, increasing the pressure on the balance of income and expenditure of the old-age insurance fund and testing the sustainability of pensions. At the same time, with the continuous increase in the elderly population, the existing supply of old-age services in terms of total volume, structure, and quality can no longer fully meet the multi-level and diversified needs for elderly care. Furthermore, as the number of empty-nest and elderly people living alone increases, how to meet their needs for spiritual culture, social participation, and digital integration has also become a new issue in people’s livelihood.

老龄化进程加速与程度加深，对养老保障和服务体系构成巨大压力。截至2024年底，我国60周岁及以上老年人口达3.1亿人，占总人口的22.0%，老年人口规模全球第一。据测算，2030年我国60岁以上老年人口占比将达到25%左右。“十五五”期间，老龄化压力持续加大，使得养老保险基金收支平衡压力增大，养老金可持续性面临考验。与此同时，随着老年人口的持续增加，现有养老服务供给在总量、结构和质量上已经难以充分满足多层次、多样化的养老需求。此外，随着空巢、独居老人增多，如何满足其精神文化、社会参与、数字融入等方面的需求，也成为新的民生课题。

The trend of declining birth rates has not yet been reversed, and the policy system to support childbirth urgently needs improvement. Low fertility rates have become a major risk affecting the long-term balanced development of China’s population, not only impacting future labor supply but also having profound effects on the allocation of educational resources, consumption structure, and other areas. Although the state has introduced a series of measures to encourage childbirth, the effects will take time to materialize and are also constrained by multiple factors such as economic burden, infant and child care, and women’s career development. How to effectively reduce the burden on families for childbirth, child-rearing, and education to increase the fertility rate is a difficult problem that urgently needs to be solved.

少子化趋势尚未扭转，生育支持政策体系亟待完善。低生育率已经成为影响我国人口长期均衡发展的主要风险，不仅影响未来劳动力供给，也对教育资源配置、消费结构等产生深远影响。尽管国家已经出台一系列鼓励生育的措施，但效果显现需要过程，而且还受经济负担、婴幼儿照护、女性职业发展等多重因素制约。如何有效减轻家庭生育、养育、教育负担以提高生育率，是亟待破解的难题。

(2) Shortcomings in People’s Livelihood Derived from Unbalanced and Inadequate Development

（二）发展不平衡不充分衍生的民生短板

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, unbalanced and inadequate development will still manifest as multi-dimensional shortcomings in the field of people’s livelihood. The gap in public services due to regional development imbalances, the chasm in quality of life under the urban-rural dual structure, and the inequality of opportunities and security among social groups have all become major constraints on meeting the people’s needs for a better life and constitute the main challenges on the path toward common prosperity.

“十五五”时期，发展不平衡不充分在民生领域仍然呈现多维度短板，区域发展失衡下的公共服务差距、城乡二元结构下的生活品质鸿沟以及社会群体间的机会与保障不均，都成为满足人民美好生活需要的主要制约因素，也构成了迈向共同富裕道路上的主要挑战。

Unbalanced and inadequate development is reflected in the huge disparity in public services between regions. The eastern coastal areas, relying on their first-mover advantages, are far ahead in infrastructure, educational resources, and medical standards. In contrast, the central and western regions, old revolutionary base areas, areas with large ethnic minority populations, border areas, and poverty-stricken areas face the predicament of insufficient public service supply. High-quality educational and medical resources are highly concentrated in developed regions and large cities. Many children in less developed areas cannot enjoy high-quality education, and grassroots people still face the difficulty of “seeing a doctor is difficult and expensive.” This uneven distribution of livelihood resources due to regional spatial disparities can easily lead to the solidification of intergenerational poverty, become a barrier hindering social mobility, and ultimately damage social fairness, justice, and long-term development.

发展不平衡不充分体现在区域之间公共服务的巨大落差。东部沿海地区凭借先发优势，在基础设施、教育资源、医疗水平等方面遥遥领先。而中西部、老少边穷等地区则面临公共服务供给不足的困境。优质教育资源和医疗资源高度集中于发达地区和大城市，许多欠发达地区的孩子难以享受到高质量的教育，基层群众仍然面临“看病难、看病贵”的难题。这种区域空间分布带来的民生资源不均，容易带来代际贫困的固化，成为阻碍社会流动的壁垒，最终损害社会的公平正义与长远发展。

Unbalanced and inadequate development is also reflected in the chasm in quality of life between urban and rural areas. Although the process of new-type urbanization is advancing rapidly, the long-standing urban-rural dual structure has not been fundamentally eliminated. Urban residents generally enjoy high-quality educational, medical, and cultural resources, while a large part of rural areas still face difficulties such as weak school faculties,简陋 medical facilities, and a lack of cultural venues. This gap in the “soft environment” directly constrains the development potential and quality of life of rural residents. In terms of infrastructure and living environment, there are also significant differences between urban and rural areas. Cities have完善的 transportation networks, stable water and electricity supplies, and efficient waste disposal systems. In contrast, some rural areas still have shortcomings in road traffic, drinking water safety, sewage treatment, and network coverage, and the living environment urgently needs improvement.

发展不平衡不充分还体现在城乡之间的生活品质鸿沟。尽管新型城镇化进程快速推进，但长期存在的城乡二元结构尚未根本消除。城市居民普遍享有优质的教育、医疗、文化资源，而很大一部分农村地区还面临学校师资薄弱、医疗设施简陋、文化场所匮乏的困境。这种“软环境”的落差，直接制约了农村居民的发展潜力和生活质量。在基础设施与生活环境方面，城乡也存在显著差异。城市拥有完善的交通网络、稳定的水电供应、高效的垃圾处理系统。相比之下，部分农村地区在道路交通、饮用水安全、污水处理、网络覆盖等方面仍存在短板，人居环境亟待改善。

Unbalanced and inadequate development is also reflected in the inequality of opportunities and security among social groups. Although the social security system has achieved broad coverage, there are obvious differences in treatment between different groups. There are significant gaps between urban and rural residents in terms of medical insurance reimbursement ratios and pension standards. Hundreds of millions of agricultural transfer populations have not yet been fully urbanized, and they still face many explicit and implicit barriers in enjoying public services such as education, housing, and social security equal to those of the registered population in the places they move to. This inequality not only affects the quality of life of individuals but may also solidify class differences, hinder social mobility, and constrain the release of overall social vitality.

发展不平衡不充分还体现在社会群体间的机会与保障不均。社会保障体系虽已实现广覆盖，但不同群体间的待遇差异明显。城乡居民在医保报销比例、养老金标准上有明显差距。数以亿计的农业转移人口尚未完全市民化，他们在享受迁入地户籍人口同等的教育、住房、社会保障等公共服务方面，仍面临诸多显性和隐性壁垒。这种不均不仅影响个体生活质量，更可能固化阶层差异，阻碍社会流动，制约社会整体活力的释放。

(3) The Dual Effects of the Technological Revolution and Industrial Transformation

（三）科技革命和产业变革带来的双重效应

The new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, represented by the digital economy and artificial intelligence, is developing in depth. While creating new development opportunities, it also brings uncertainties to people’s livelihood work. Among these, the “double-edged sword” effect on employment deserves particular attention.

以数字经济、人工智能等为代表的新一轮科技革命和产业变革深入发展，在创造新的发展机遇的同时，也给民生工作带来不确定性。其中对就业产生的“双刃剑”效应尤其值得关注。

On the one hand, the vigorous development of new technologies such as digital technology and artificial intelligence has injected new vitality into the job market and opened up vast space for growth. The rise of the digital economy has created a large number of unprecedented employment opportunities. For example, e-commerce platforms have given rise to jobs such as livestreaming salespersons and e-commerce operations specialists. The big data industry has created new positions such as data analysts and algorithm engineers. These new occupations are not only large in number but also often have higher knowledge and technical content.

一方面，数字技术、人工智能等新技术的蓬勃发展，为就业市场注入了新的活力，开辟了广阔的增长空间。数字经济的兴起创造了大量前所未有的就业机会，例如，电商平台催生了直播带货员、电商运营专员等。大数据产业则创造了数据分析师、算法工程师等新岗位。这些新职业不仅数量庞大，而且往往具有更高的知识和技术含量。

On the other hand, the substitution effect of new technologies on employment has extended from manual labor to mental labor, forming a dual substitution pressure. Research shows that for every 1 percent increase in the penetration rate of industrial robots, the demand for labor by enterprises will decrease by 0.18 percent. It can be foreseen that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, low-skilled jobs will further decrease, while the technical threshold for new jobs in emerging industries will be higher and the number of such jobs will be far lower than the number of workers who need to change jobs. This structural unemployment pressure caused by technological progress will further increase. How to conduct forward-looking vocational skills training, improve the lifelong vocational skills training system, help workers adapt to technological changes, and at the same time regulate the protection of labor rights and interests in new forms of employment are major issues that need to be addressed during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

另一方面，新技术对就业的替代效应已经从体力劳动延伸到了脑力劳动，形成了双重替代压力。研究显示，工业机器人的渗透度每增加1%，将导致企业对劳动力的需求缩减0.18%。可以预见，“十五五”时期低技能岗位将进一步减少，而新兴产业新增岗位的技术门槛更高且数量远低于需转岗的劳动者人数。这种由技术进步所引发的结构性失业压力将进一步加大。如何前瞻性地进行职业技能培训，完善终身职业技能培训制度，帮助劳动者适应技术变革，同时规范新就业形态劳动权益保障，是“十五五”时期需要回答的重大课题。

4. Reflections on the Path for Ensuring and Improving People’s Livelihood during the 15th Five-Year Plan Period

四、“十五五”时期民生保障和改善的路径思考

Facing the new situation and new challenges, to promote the assurance and improvement of people’s livelihood during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we must take the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party [n12] as guidance, adhere to the people-centered development philosophy, adhere to doing our best according to our capabilities, strengthen inclusive, basic, and bottom-line livelihood construction, explore new paths for more sustainable and higher-quality livelihood development, and effectively improve the quality of life of the people.

面对新形势、新挑战，“十五五”时期推进民生保障和改善，要以党的二十届四中全会精神为指引，坚持以人民为中心的发展思想，坚持尽力而为、量力而行，加强普惠性、基础性、兜底性民生建设，探索更可持续、更高质量的民生发展新路径，切实提高人民生活品质。

(1) Adhering to the Methodology of “Doing Our Best According to Our Capabilities”

（一）坚持“尽力而为、量力而行”的方法论

Adhering to doing our best according to our capabilities is an important method for ensuring and improving people’s livelihood. “Doing our best” embodies a wholehearted sense of purpose and a proactive spirit of taking responsibility. It requires us to prioritize livelihood work, with a sense of urgency that “cannot afford to wait,” a sense of crisis that “cannot afford to be slow,” and a sense of responsibility that “cannot afford to sit idly by,” to proactively identify pain points and blockages in people’s livelihood, use limited resources where they are most needed, and concentrate efforts on inclusive, basic, and bottom-line livelihood construction.

坚持尽力而为、量力而行，是保障和改善民生的重要方法。“尽力而为”，体现的是一种全心全意的宗旨意识、一种主动作为的担当精神。它要求我们将民生工作摆在优先位置，以“等不起”的紧迫感、“慢不得”的危机感、“坐不住”的责任感，主动发现民生痛点、堵点，将有限的资源用在刀刃上，集中力量抓好普惠性、基础性、兜底性民生建设。

“According to our capabilities” emphasizes respect for objective laws and embodies a pragmatic and down-to-earth work attitude. Ensuring and improving people’s livelihood is essentially a fiscal expenditure and must consider the affordability of the economy and the sustainability of public finances. This requires us to proceed from the stage of social development we are in, fully consider realistic possibilities and affordability, not make overly high promises detached from reality, and not engage in excessive welfare like “eating the next year’s grain” [n13]; otherwise, financial risks may arise due to the rupture of the capital chain, which in turn erodes the foundation of livelihood security.

“量力而行”，强调的是尊重客观规律，体现的是务实踏实的工作态度。民生保障和改善，本质上是一种财政支出，必须考虑到经济的可承受能力和财政的可持续性。这要求我们必须从所处的社会发展阶段出发，充分考虑现实可能性和承受能力，不脱离实际地提出过高承诺，不搞“寅吃卯粮”式的过度福利，否则可能因资金链断裂而引发财政风险，反过来侵蚀民生保障的基础。

“Doing our best” and “according to our capabilities” are not mutually opposed but form a dialectical unity. The former determines the “attitude” and “upper limit” of livelihood work, while the latter defines the “boundary” and “bottom line” of livelihood work. In practice, we must be good at grasping the measure of “according to our capabilities” within “doing our best,” and on the basis of “according to our capabilities,” pursue the height of “doing our best.” This requires us to give full play to subjective initiative, maximize the benefits of people’s livelihood under existing financial and material conditions by optimizing resource allocation, improving the efficiency of fund use, and innovating service supply models. At the same time, we must continuously make the “cake” bigger by promoting high-quality economic development, providing a more solid material foundation for “doing our best,” and achieving a dynamic balance between the two at a higher level.

“尽力而为”与“量力而行”并非相互对立，而是辩证统一的有机整体。前者决定了民生工作的“态度”和“上限”，后者划定了民生工作的“边界”和“底线”。在实践中，要善于在“尽力”中把握“量力”的尺度，在“量力”的基础上追求“尽力”的高度。这就要求我们既要充分发挥主观能动性，在现有财力物力的条件下通过优化资源配置、提高资金使用效率、创新服务供给模式，实现民生效益的最大化，也要通过推动经济高质量发展，不断把“蛋糕”做大，为“尽力而为”提供更为雄厚的物质基础，在更高水平上实现二者的动态平衡。

(2) Building a Population Service System Adapted to the Population Structure

（二）构建适配人口结构的人口服务体系

Changes in population structure are a fundamental variable affecting people’s livelihood, and building a population service system that fits the population structure is a key focus for ensuring and improving people’s livelihood. In response to the deep-seated changes in China’s population structure during the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan [14]14 The 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) is the next national medium-term economic and social development plan for China., the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC [15]15 The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC was held in 2025, focusing on Party building and governance issues. proposed “improving a population service system that covers the entire population and the whole life cycle.”

人口结构变化是影响民生保障的基础性变量，构建适配人口结构的人口服务体系是民生保障和改善的重要着力点。针对“十五五”时期中国人口结构的深层次变化，党的二十届四中全会提出“健全覆盖全人群、全生命周期的人口服务体系”。

“Covering the entire population” emphasizes the universality and fairness of public services. This requires breaking down barriers of urban-rural division, region, household registration, status, and income, expanding the coverage of the population service system, enhancing its inclusiveness, ensuring that different regions, ethnic groups, and occupational groups can equally and universally access relevant services, and ensuring that the fruits of reform and development benefit all the people more and more fairly.

“覆盖全人群”强调公共服务的普惠性与公平性。这要求打破城乡、地域、户籍、身份、收入等壁垒，扩大人口服务体系的覆盖面，增强人口服务体系的包容性，确保不同地区、不同民族、不同职业群体等都能平等、普惠地获得相关服务，确保改革发展成果更多更公平惠及全体人民。

“Covering the whole life cycle” emphasizes the continuity and systematic nature of service provision. This requires taking the human life cycle as the main thread, providing uninterrupted, continuous population services for people from infancy to old age. At the “one small” end [i.e., children], on the one hand, increase financial investment, “optimize childbirth support policies and incentive measures, leverage the role of childcare subsidies and personal income tax deduction policies, and effectively reduce the costs of family childbirth, childcare, and education”; on the other hand, develop universal childcare and integrated childcare services, incorporate childcare services into the scope of basic public services, encourage social forces to participate, and vigorously develop infant and toddler care service institutions that are affordable in price and guaranteed in quality. At the “one old” end [i.e., the elderly], on the one hand, optimize the supply of basic elderly care services, accelerate the improvement of a multi-tiered elderly care service system based on home care, supported by community care, supplemented by institutions, and combining medical care with elderly care, achieving full-process services from health management to disability care; on the other hand, promote “making the most of one’s senior years,” “prudently implement a gradual delay in the statutory retirement age, optimize age-restriction policies in areas such as employment and social security, actively develop the human resources of the elderly, and develop the silver economy.”

“覆盖全生命周期”强调服务供给的连续性与系统性。这要求以人的生命周期为主线，为人们从婴儿期到老年期提供不间断的持续性人口服务。在“一小”端，一方面加大财政投入，“优化生育支持政策和激励措施，发挥育儿补贴和个人所得税抵扣政策作用，有效降低家庭生育养育教育成本”；另一方面发展普惠托育和托育一体化服务，将托育服务纳入基本公共服务范围，鼓励社会力量参与，大力发展价格可承受、质量有保障的婴幼儿照护服务机构。在“一老”端，一方面优化基本养老服务供给，加快完善以居家为基础、社区为依托、机构为补充、医育、医养相结合的多层次养老服务体系，实现从健康管理到失能照护的全程服务；另一方面推动老有所为，“稳妥实施渐进式延迟法定退休年龄，优化就业、社保等方面年龄限制政策，积极开发老年人力资源，发展银发经济”。

(3) Narrowing Gaps in People’s Livelihood and Well-being through Balanced Measures

（三）以均衡化举措缩小民生福祉差距

In response to the shortcomings in people’s livelihood caused by unbalanced and inadequate development, Xi Jinping, in his “Explanation on the ‘Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development,’” required “deploying a batch of policy measures with strong balance and accessibility.” During the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan, it is necessary to implement balanced measures to strive to narrow the gaps in people’s livelihood and well-being between urban and rural areas and between regions.

针对不平衡不充分的发展带来的民生短板，习近平在《关于〈中共中央关于制定国民经济和社会发展第十五个五年规划的建议〉的说明》中要求“部署一批均衡性可及性强的政策举措”。“十五五”时期，就要以均衡化举措的落地，努力缩小城乡、区域之间的民生福祉差距。

Promote integrated urban-rural development and narrow the urban-rural gap in people’s livelihood. On the one hand, promote the equal exchange and two-way flow of urban and rural factors, guide more capital, technology, and talent to flow to rural areas, promote the cross-border allocation of agriculture and modern industrial factors, broaden channels for increasing farmers’ incomes, narrow the income gap between urban and rural residents, and stimulate the endogenous driving force of rural areas. Second, promote the equalization of urban and rural public services, “push more public services to sink to the grassroots level, cover rural areas, and tilt toward remote areas and people with living difficulties,” so that rural residents can enjoy a quality of life similar to that of urban residents.

推动城乡融合发展，缩小城乡民生差距。一方面，推动城乡要素平等交换、双向流动，引导资本、技术、人才更多流向乡村，推动农业与现代产业要素跨界配置，拓宽农民增收渠道，缩小城乡居民收入差距，激发农村内生动力。二是促进城乡公共服务均等化，“推动更多公共服务向基层下沉、向农村覆盖、向边远地区和生活困难群众倾斜”，让农村居民享有与城市相近的生活品质。

Promote coordinated regional development and shore up weak links in people’s livelihood. On the one hand, focusing on major national regional strategies, such as the large-scale development of the western region, the revitalization of the northeast, and the rise of the central region, increase the intensity of central government fiscal transfer payments, guide high-quality educational and medical resources to flow to underdeveloped areas, increase support for underdeveloped areas, and promote the equalization of basic public services at the regional level. On the other hand, in response to the challenges faced by the public resource allocation mechanism linked to “people, land, and money,” “improve the public resource allocation mechanism that matches the permanent resident population,” establish a scientific forecasting system for population mobility trends, strengthen the coordinated linkage of resources such as fiscal transfer payments and construction land quotas with population absorption capacity, and dynamically adjust and optimize the supply of basic public services based on the actual size of the population served and managed.

促进区域协调发展，补齐民生短板。一方面，围绕国家区域重大战略，如西部大开发、东北振兴、中部崛起等，加大中央财政转移支付力度，引导优质教育、医疗资源向欠发达地区流动，加大对欠发达地区的支持力度，推动基本公共服务在区域层面的均等化发展。另一方面，针对“人地钱”挂钩的公共资源配置机制所面临的挑战，“健全与常住人口相匹配的公共资源配置机制”，建立人口流动趋势的科学预测体系，强化财政转移支付、建设用地指标等资源与人口吸纳能力的协同联动，依据实际服务管理人口规模动态调整和优化基本公共服务供给。

(4) Strengthening the Institutional Support for Ensuring and Improving People’s Livelihood

（四）强化民生保障和改善的制度支撑

Institutions are fundamental, overarching, stable, and long-term issues concerning the development of the Party and the state. The 20th National Congress of the CPC and the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee both emphasized the importance of institutional construction. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee, which is in the same vein as the 20th National Congress and the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee, also continues the major principle of “adhering to institutional construction as the main thread,” insisting on using institutional forms to promote the assurance and improvement of people’s livelihood.

制度是关系党和国家事业发展的根本性、全局性、稳定性、长期性问题。党的二十大、二十届三中全会都强调制度建设的重要性。与党的二十大、二十届三中全会一脉相承的党的二十届四中全会，也继续“坚持以制度建设为主线”这一重大原则，坚持用制度形式推进民生保障和改善。

Use the stability of institutional guarantees to ensure the predictability of ensuring and improving people’s livelihood. If ensuring and improving people’s livelihood lacks a stable institutional framework and relies only on temporary policies or campaign-style promotion, it is highly susceptible to fluctuations due to changes in leadership, shifts in attention, or ups and downs in fiscal conditions. By transforming mature livelihood policies and successful livelihood practices into institutions with universal binding force and long-term effectiveness through legislation, the formulation of administrative regulations, and local regulations, it is possible to effectively avoid the volatility of livelihood policies that vary with individuals and circumstances, providing the people with stable and predictable livelihood guarantees.

以制度保障的稳定性确保民生保障和改善的可预期性。如果民生保障和改善缺乏稳定的制度框架，仅依靠临时性政策或运动式推进，极易因领导人的更替、注意力的转移或财政状况的起伏而出现波动。将成熟的民生政策、成功的民生实践，通过立法、制定行政法规和地方性法规等方式，形成具有普遍约束力和长期效力的制度，能够有效规避民生政策因人因事而异的波动性，为人民群众提供稳定、可预期的民生保障。

Use the systematic nature of institutional design to achieve fairness and efficiency in the allocation of livelihood resources. Livelihood construction covers multiple areas such as education, employment, income distribution, and social security. These areas are interconnected and mutually influential, requiring overall planning and coordinated advancement. A fragmented governance model of piecemeal efforts and treating symptoms rather than root causes will lead to policy conflicts, resource waste, and ineffective results. Through institutional forms for top-level design and systematic integration, departmental barriers can be broken down, the relationship between powers and responsibilities can be straightened out, and a multi-tiered livelihood security system covering the entire population, coordinating urban and rural areas, with clear powers and responsibilities, appropriate guarantees, and sustainability can be constructed. This helps ensure the fairness and efficiency of the allocation of livelihood resources.

以制度设计的系统性实现民生资源分配的公平与效率。民生建设涵盖教育、就业、收入分配、社会保障等多个领域，这些领域相互关联、相互影响，需要统筹规划、协同推进。零敲碎打、头痛医头的碎片化治理模式，会导致政策冲突、资源浪费和效果不彰。通过制度形式进行顶层设计和系统集成，可以打破部门壁垒，理顺权责关系，构建起一个覆盖全民、城乡统筹、权责清晰、保障适度、可持续的多层次民生保障制度体系，有助于确保民生资源分配的公平与效率。

Author’s Bio: Zhao Jiping is a professor at the School of Marxism, Party School of the Shandong Provincial Committee of the CPC [Shandong Academy of Governance].

作者简介：赵纪萍,中共山东省委党校[山东行政学院]马克思主义学院教授。