BEIJING, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- The per capita disposable income of China's rural residents rose 1.6 percent year-on-year in the first three quarters, an official said on Tuesday.

In the January-September period, the per capita disposable income of rural residents was 12,297 yuan (about 1,835 U.S. dollars), and sustained growth is expected through the fourth quarter of the year, Liu Huanxin, vice minister of agriculture and rural affairs told a press conference.

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), the per capita disposable income gap between China's urban and rural residents continued to narrow, with the ratio standing at 2.64:1 in 2019, an improvement from 2.73:1 in 2015, Liu said.

Rural per capita disposable income surpassed 16,000 yuan in 2019, according to Liu.