Living Urban vs.Registered Urban:Hukou Based Quality of Life Gap among Older Adults in China

• In Event: 30620 - Section on Inequality, Poverty, and Mobility Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 3: Residential Context, Housing, and Inequality

Abstract

This study investigates the quality of life (QOL) gap among older adults living in urban China, focusing on the role of the Hukou registration system. The Hukou system divides Chinese citizens into urban or rural categories, influencing access to critical resources such as pensions and healthcare. Using data from the 2018 wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), the findings show significant differences in QOL, with urban Hukou holders reporting higher QOL compared to their rural counterparts. Multivariate ordered logistic regressions reveal that rural Hukou status is consistently associated with lower QOL. Mediation analyses using the KHB method confirm that pension access reduces the Hukou-based QOL gap by 21.37%, while adequate medical services account for a smaller reduction of 3.23%.
These findings highlight the structural inequities embedded in the Hukou system, with urban Hukou holders benefiting significantly from better access to pensions and healthcare, which enhance QOL in later life. Policies aimed at equalizing access to these resources, regardless of Hukou status, could substantially improve the well-being of rural Hukou holders living in urban areas.

Author

• Yingling Liu, North Central College