China has prevented people from falling back into poverty through its efforts to consolidate poverty alleviation outcomes amid rural vitalization efforts, a senior agricultural official said on Monday.

After declaring victory over absolute poverty in 2021, the country set up a five-year transitional period and established a long-term monitoring and assistance mechanism to prevent people from slipping back into poverty.

A total of 5.34 million monitored individuals at risk of falling back into poverty have been stably lifted out of it. All 832 counties removed from the poverty list have developed two or three leading industries, with a combined output value exceeding 1.7 trillion yuan ($233.5 billion), Vice-Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Zhang Xingwang said at a news conference on Monday.

By the end of last year, more than 33.05 million previously impoverished workers had found employment, with the figure consistently exceeding 30 million for four consecutive years. In the first three quarters of 2024, the per capita disposable income of farmers in delisted counties was 12,384 yuan, up 6.5 percent compared to the same period last year, Zhang said.

"This year marks the final year of the transition period," he said.

"The ministry will steadily align efforts to consolidate and expand poverty alleviation outcomes with rural vitalization, plan for normalized support policies and measures after the transition, and firmly guard against the occurrence of a large-scale return to poverty."

The ministry pledged to enhance the efficiency of poverty monitoring and assistance by accelerating the construction of a big data information system targeting rural populations to prevent relapses into poverty.

Monitoring and identification are conducted through declarations by rural households, screenings and early warnings by relevant departments, and inspections by rural officials, with assistance provided based on individual and household needs, Zhang said.

The ministry will also offer tailored guidance to local industries by consolidating, upgrading, revitalizing or adjusting them to promote high-quality development and continuously increase farmers' incomes.

Additionally, it will bolster rural employment by deepening east-west employment cooperation and improving the quality of job training to ensure the number of employed workers remains above 30 million, according to Zhang.

Xu Nuo contributed to this story.