China improved its welfare system last year which helped more disadvantaged people such as the elderly and disabled, the Civil Affairs Ministry said Thursday.

It said that as of the end of 2008, there were 42,000 social welfare institutes, up 15.1 percent year-on-year. These organizations served 1.89 million people including the homeless elderly, the disabled and orphans, a 15.8 percent increase. The government also helped about 568,000 disabled people find jobs last year.

The ministry said that last year, civil affairs bureaus at all levels received donations of 47 billion yuan (about 6 billion U.S. dollars) and 490 million garments, which helped more than 24 million people.

(Xinhua News Agency February 5, 2009)