Urbanization and Population Migration in China

Urbanization and Population

Migration in China

Wang Qian, National Health and Family Planning

Commission of China

March 1, 2014

国家卫生和计划生育委员会 NHFPC

Industrialization and

urbanization developed

relatively late in China.

In 1978, the proportion

of urban population wan

only 17.9%.


Since 1978, China has been

practicing a reform and open policy,

energetically developed its economy

and sped up the process of

industrialization. As a result, a great

quantity of surplus workforce in rural

areas are shifting to non-agricultural

industries. Therefore, a large scale of

population movement is formed.


Migrant Population: status of

household registration unchanged

Space: away from the province, city,

county, township (sub-district) or

village of household registration

Duration: over half a year

Immigrant Population: status of

household registration changed


Migration in China is not only related

to time and space, but also related to the

hukou status (household registration)

Migrants: whose residence at the time of census is not the same

as hukou registration place (town or streets) →they move across

administrative border without hukou status change

Note: the identity remains even if they stay in destination for

more than 10 years


6

Migrant size and average increase rate

6.5718.1

70.73

221.43

147.35

102.29

21.35

0

50

100

150

200

250

1982 1987 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Year

Mig

rant

siz

e (

in m

illio

n)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Annual in

cre

ase r

ate

7

Migration profile, 2005-2010

• Size – household registration differs from residence: 260.94 million

– exclude registration and residence in the same city: 221.03 million

– household registration in other province: 85.88 million

• Intra-provincial: nearly half from urban, about half migrate for work or study/training

• Inter-provincial: mostly from rural, about 70% migrate for work

Urban-urban Rural-urban Rural-rural Urban-rural

Total migrants 34.4 52.7 10.3 2.6

Intra-provincial 42.9 45.8 8.2 3.2

Inter-provincial 17.0 67.0 14.6 1.4

8

Major destination

• About 70% to Pearl River Delta, Changjiang Delta, and Beijing/Tianjin

• Cities with largest migration increase: – Shanghai

– Beijing

– Tianjin

– Suzhou

Population density,2000

9

Age structure of migrants

8 6 4 2 0 2 4 6 8

0~4

5~9

10~14

15~19

20~24

25~29

30~34

35~39

40~44

45~49

50~54

55~59

60~64

65+

Men Women


Intra-provincial Inter-provincial Age 20~24, national total

Education M F M F M F

Primary or lower 17.3 22.0 17.3 22.0 6.7 8.1

Middle school 39.1 38.3 39.1 38.3 46.1 47.0

High school 26.2 23.5 26.2 23.5 22.2 19.2

College or above 17.4 16.3 17.4 16.3 25.0 25.7

Education structure of migrants, 2010 (%)


Note: This is the data in 2010. In 2012, rate of urbanization in China already reached 52.6%.


1983年

22274

1983年

80734 1978年

79014

1978年

17245

1994年

85681

1994年

34169

2010年

67113

2010年

66978

Changes of population quantity in urban and

rural areas in China

Characteristics of migrant population:

Annual increase is over 10 million, and those with rural

household registration acount for over 75%.

Trend of whole family migration and long-term residence

is obvious. Individual migration in pendulum type is

gradually changed to migration of the whole nuclear family.

Over 30% migrant population have been living in place

of destination for over 5 years.

Nearly 70 % migrant population take along their spouses,

children and parents.

They enjoy a relatively low level of basic public services,

such as housing, social insurance and child education.



Future pattern of urbanization and

population congregation in China


Problems confronted in the

development of urbanization:

Distribution of urban areas does not match the

carrying capacity of resources and environment.

Medium and small cities do not have sufficient

functions in congregating industries and population.

There are too heavy population pressure on large

cities and megalopolises, “city illness”

Ability in supplying public services in cities is

insufficient. Residence environment of some

migrants-congregated areas is relatively poor.

Countermeasures:

Promote coordinated development of

medium and small cities and small towns and

guide for orderly movement of population

Strengthen industrial support in cities,

enhance economic vitality and competitive

ability of cities, improve the level of social

management and public services in cities, and

promote the ability of cities to deal with

population congregation and carrying capacity.


Countermeasures: Gradually change the agricultural transit

population into urban residents (with stable

employment, permanent residence and the new

generation)

Promote equilibrium of basic public services

(including child education, ensured housing,

employment, social security, basic medical care

and family planning service)

Promote social integration of migrant

population


Thank You！


Urbanization and Population Migration in China

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