BEIJING, March 5 -- China took concrete steps to improve the people's wellbeing and accelerated the development of social programs over the past five years, according to a government work report submitted Sunday to the national legislature for deliberation.

The country kept annual budgetary spending on education at over 4 percent of GDP and realized a significant increase in spending per student, the report said.

The retention rate in nine-year compulsory education rose from 93.8 percent to 95.5 percent in China, it said.

Annual per capita government subsidies for basic medical insurance for rural and non-working urban residents increased from 450 yuan to 610 yuan. A greater number of urgently needed medicines were approved for reimbursement under the basic medical insurance scheme, according to the report.

China also increased basic pension benefits for retirees for several years running and raised the minimum basic old-age benefits for rural and non-working urban residents, the report said.