BEIJING, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- China lifted 13.86 million people in rural areas out of poverty last year, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Friday.

The country saw the number of impoverished rural residents decline from nearly 100 million in late 2012 to 16.6 million by the end of 2018, the NBS said.

In 2018, the average annual income of rural residents in impoverished areas rose to 10,371 yuan (about 1,530 U.S. dollars) with an inflation-adjusted year-on-year growth of 8.3 percent.

People whose annual income is lower than 2,300 yuan are defined as living below the poverty line in China.

Official figures show that China's poverty relief achievements have contributed more than 70 percent to global poverty alleviation work in the past 40 years.

China aims to eradicate poverty by 2020, the target year to finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

The country will continue to work vigorously to reduce poverty and lift no less than ten million people out of poverty in 2019, to lay a solid foundation for winning the battle against poverty, a State Council executive meeting decided on Monday.