The Relationship between Regional Educational Resource Inequality and Income Inequality: The Case of China

Abstract

The relationship between intra-regional inequality in educational resources and income inequality has always been the focus of social development and equity issues. Using the education Gini coefficient as the main indicator for portraying educational inequality, this paper selects relevant provincial panel data to study the relationship between inter-regional educational inequality and the widening of the income distribution gap in China, and finds that: 1) China's inter-regional educational inequality is positively correlated with the income distribution gap; 2) Over time, the effects of unequal access to education and widening economic disparities are becoming more pronounced. In order to stop the income gap from expanding due to educational inequality, the government should invest more in education, boost the rate at which educational resources are used, and support the coordinated growth of interregional education. This article fills the research gap on the relationship between educational resources and income in the last decade and contributes to the national education field.