Abstract: By theoretical defining the survival needs and life needs of the rural residents and making use of the data from the national statistical database, this paper measures and calculates the appropriate level of the basic pension of the new rural social endowment insurance and the individual account pension; in addition, it estimates the appropriateness of the amount of aid from both the central finance and local finance to the new rural insurance. It believes that the basic life needs have to highlight fairness and unified national standards. The basic life needs have to focus on efficiency, which should be developed separately from place to place according to the actual situation.

Key words: new rural social endowment insurance; survival needs; life needs; appropriateness