Based on the 1% Population Sampling Survey, the average monthly earnings for people working in agriculture in rural areas are only CNY 271, and the local off-farm workers can make CNY 739 monthly (the medians being CNY 227 and CNY 636, respectively). Hence, the income difference between farm work and off-farm work accounted for most of the inequality within rural areas. Table 3.2 also presents the inequality indices in rural areas based on various definitions of the rural population (columns 1 and 4). In fact, the earnings difference among rural residents is quite substantial, and is mostly contributed by the difference between farm work and off-farm work.