Changes in make-up of CPC members

The 18th CPC National Congress is gathering more than two-thousand delegates from all walks of life. They represent more than 82 million Party members across the country. Over the years, the make-up of the CPC members has seen great changes.

By the end of 2011, there were 82 million 600 thousand Party members. To give you a historical perspective, that's a 65% increase from 2 decades ago in the early 1990's, and more than the total population of the UK. Six percent of China's population are Party members.

And 6.7% of the party members are ethnic minorities. 38.6% of party members have a college degree or above, compared with 10 percent for the country as a whole. And on the age front, members are getting younger. 25% are now under 35. That's a 22% increase from 2005. Currently there are 23% of members are women. But it's a 35% increase from 2005.

On the occupational make-up of Party members. The bulk of the group is still made up of people working in agricultural and industrial jobs. Together they make up over 38% of the total. However, people in the private sector are also increasingly playing an important role in the process. The number of party members working in the private sector now stands at 3.5 million.

According to data released by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, more than 300,000 CPC grassroots committees have been set up in the private sector. That's more than three times the number a decade ago.