Living condition among China’s rural–urban migrants: recent dynamics and the inland–coastal differential

Abstract

Using data from the Rural–Urban Migration in China (RUMiC) survey, this paper evaluates the very recent dynamics of living condition among China’s rural–urban migrants during 2008–2014, scrutinizing in particular the differential between the inland region and the coastal region. Along with their improved economic conditions, housing conditions of migrants have in general improved, although compared to urban locals their disadvantages persist over time. The improvement is especially fast among those migrants residing in the inland region. Multivariate regression results indicate that education, income, place of origin and family composition are important determinants of migrants’ housing conditions. Finally, decomposition analysis suggests that even after controlling for those observable factors, there is still a large inland–coastal differential. Over time, China’s rural–urban migrants are becoming more stable and settled in host cities. The temporary nature of China’s migrants, claimed in many previous studies, might be changing. Updated and regional-specific migrant policies are needed.

Keywords:

• Rural–urban migrants
• living condition
• regional differential

Notes

1. We deem those households with floor space per capita less than 8 m² to be families suffering from housing overcrowding. This criterion follows the WHO’s (2000) standard and has been adopted by previous studies (eg Zhang & Cheng, 2014).

2. The RUMiC project divides a city into equal-sized blocks (500 m × 500 m) in the map, then randomly chooses a certain number of blocks. Next, adjust the bock according to real street/road, river and some other city facilities. Finally, collect the number and distribution of migrant workers in each workplace (firms, factories, shops, market and so on) within the block. These information in all blocks make up the sampling frame of survey.