Inequalities in Educational Attainment in China: Does the Urban Household Registration Certificate (Hukou) Matter?

• In Event: International Work on PISA

Abstract

The scope of this paper is confined to analyses of inequality in educational attainment in compulsory education (i.e., completion of nine years of schooling, including elementary and junior high school). Using regressions with data collected from a national sample in 2014, results of this study reveal the benefits in educational attainment for male Chinese living in urban areas in more economically advanced regions with urban household registration certificates (“hukou”). The paper also reveals some extent of the above-mentioned, relatively consistent pattern for various types of regions, rural/urban residence, and gender. This study also makes attempts to interpret the findings by explaining the reasons for these variations and provides a number of policy recommendations for educational improvement.

Authors

• Xinxin Wang, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Xue Lan Rong, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill