The upcoming 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), scheduled to open Thursday, will be attended by 2,270 delegates. The following are changes in the makeup of delegates, compared with that at the 17th Party congress in 2007.

-- The number of leading officials at different levels accounts for 69.5 percent of the total delegates to the 18th Party congress, 2.1 percentage points lower than that at the previous congress.

-- The number of grassroots-level delegates accounts for 30.5 percent, up 2.1 percentage points.

-- The percentage of workers remarkably increases to 7.4 percent. Their number grows from 51 five years ago to 169, including 26 farmer-turned workers.

-- The average age of delegates is 52. Those under the age of 35 account for 5 percent, up 1.9 percentage points.

-- Party members who joined the CPC after the country's reform and opening up in the late 1970s constitute the majority of delegates.

-- Those who joined the Party after November 1976 account for 72.2 percent, up 20.5 percentage points.