Rural Households In China Research Articles

Digital literacy and green consumption in rural households: the moderating effect of social participation

ABSTRACT Rural household consumption significantly contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions. Promoting green consumption among rural households is essential for achieving global sustainable development. By applying the cost signalling theory and the social affiliation hypothesis, our study, which utilized a panel dataset of 4179 rural households in China, found that digital literacy significantly enhances green consumption among rural households. The robustness of these findings is corroborated by instrumental variable method-based tests. Furthermore, our analysis reveals that social participation acts as a moderating factor, diminishing the impact of digital literacy on promoting green consumption in rural households. In contrast, environmental awareness does not exhibit a significant influence in this context. Research holds significant theoretical and practical importance in promoting green consumption among rural households.

Proportion of land transfer proceeds for rural development, the rural household income, and the debt risk of the rural households in China

Proportion of land transfer proceeds for rural development, the rural household income, and the debt risk of the rural households in China

Reallocate to the right place: The heterogeneous effect of internet use on factor allocation of rural households in China

How to improve factor (mis)allocation is an important topic for both economists and policy-makers. In the digital economy era, existing studies have investigated the impact of information and communication technologies on factor allocation of rural households, but little is known about the heterogenous effect on farmers with differentiated productivity. This study uses panel data from the Chinese Family Panel Studies from 2010 to 2020, to examine the impact of Internet use on factor allocation of rural households from the view of heterogeneity in their productivities. The results suggest that Internet use facilitates a flow of land from low- to high-productivity farmers, and farm labor migration to off-farm activities. Such effect is achieved though easing information constraints and all farmers gain higher income after the reallocation. Our findings suggest that promoting Internet penetration and its functions can help reduce misallocation and improve welfare in rural areas.

Digital economy, risk attitudes, and entrepreneurial decision-making in urban and rural households in China

Using data from the 2019 China Household Finance Survey, this study examines how the digital economy and household risk attitudes affect entrepreneurial decision-making in urban and rural Chinese households. Risk-taking families are more likely to become entrepreneurs, particularly in economically developed eastern regions. Furthermore, integrating the digital economy boosts entrepreneurial activities within households, especially in the central and western regions. Based on these findings, the government and relevant institutions should strengthen digital infrastructure in the central and western regions, as well as establish an evaluation and monitoring mechanism to ensure the effectiveness of policy measures to promote balanced economic development and sustainable growth in household entrepreneurial activity.

Broadband Infrastructure and Happiness of Rural Households in China

Broadband Infrastructure and Happiness of Rural Households in China

Promoting sustainable agrifood production under climate change: adaptation, returns, and food security implications

ABSTRACT Climate change is challenging sustainable agrifood production and food security, and encouraging farmers’ climate change adaptation can help promote sustainable agrifood production and ensure food security. This study investigates farmers’ climate change adaptation and its impact on agrifood production. We employ the propensity score matching (PSM) model to address the selection bias issue of climate change adaptation and estimate the survey data collected from 415 rice-producing households in rural China. We also estimate the inverse probability weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA) model for robustness check. The empirical results show that farmers’ decisions on climate change adaptation are influenced by household heads’ age, education level, life satisfaction, temperature perception, and transportation conditions. The treatment effect estimations of the PSM model reveal that climate change adaptation significantly increases land productivity by 41.24–44.29% and labor productivity by 55.06–63.72% in rice production. The IPWRA model estimation largely confirms the robustness of the PSM model estimation. We also find that climate change adaptation significantly increases the net returns of rice production. These findings have significant global implications. By understanding the factors influencing farmers’ decisions to adapt to climate change, policymakers worldwide can design targeted interventions to encourage similar practices in other regions. Promoting farmers’ climate change adaptation to increase farm productivity is crucial for ensuring global food security in the face of ongoing climate challenges.

Welfare enhancement or environment improvement: How does China's rural revitalization assistance policy work? Evidence from China

AbstractIn the context of sustainable development, the greatest challenge facing society today is to improve welfare of the disadvantaged while preserving the environment. This paper constructed a theoretical framework of “policy‐welfare‐environment,” explored the effects in terms of individual welfare enhancement and village environment improvement, and conduct empirical tests on a sample of 1208 rural households in China. The results show that: (1) The assistance policy can significantly improve the overall welfare of the disadvantaged groups, and meanwhile, it can improve different dimensions of welfare, with the degree from high to low was a social opportunity, spiritual feeling, and economic situation. (2) The assistance policy can increase the probability of adopting environmental protection behavior, which in turn can significantly improve the village environment. (3) Welfare improvements in social opportunities mediate between the assistance policy and village environment improvements, while improvements in spiritual feelings and economic status do not. In addition, there is age heterogeneity in the welfare enhancement effect of the policy in the economic status dimension and the spiritual feeling dimension. The conclusions provide valuable policy enlightenment for assistance policy formulation and environmental governance, and can protect the ecological environment while improving public welfare, which is in line with the trend of sustainable development.

The impact of infectious disease experience on household consumption: evidence from rural China.

The issue of low consumption among rural households in China has a longstanding history, and the experience of infectious diseases may exacerbate the existing challenges in fostering consumption growth. However, studies that characterize the impact of infectious diseases on household consumption are limited in China. This study aims to explore rural household consumption responses to infectious diseases post-assessment, and identify the underlying mechanisms. A total of 1,539 rural households from China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) datasets of 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020 were recruited as the study sample. The presence of infectious disease experience was employed as the independent variable and household consumption as the dependent variable. A panel fixed effects (FE) regression model was initially employed to identify the influence of infectious disease experiences on rural household consumption. The instrumental variable (IV) method was used to address potential endogeneity between independent and dependent variables. Robustness checks such as Propensity Score Matching (PSM) test were employed to ensure the reliability of the findings. The results reveal a statistically significant negative impact of infectious disease experiences on consumption over time, becoming no more significant at around 7-9 years post-disaster. This effect leads to more pronounced consumption deprivation for households with limited health insurance coverage and heightened healthcare resource constraints. The mechanism test indicates that infectious disease experiences affect the consumption levels of rural households through channels that include income constraints, the crowding-out of healthcare expenditure, and risk perception, with the precautionary savings motive acting as a moderator. Furthermore, the diminishing effect of infectious diseases on individual consumption surpasses that of natural disasters. Temporal discrepancy is observed in the impacts of infectious and chronic disease shocks on household consumption. The accumulation of liquid assets emerges as an effective strategy for households to mitigate the impact of infectious disease shocks. The findings underscore the importance of integrating short- and long-term policies to bolster consumption capacity, strategically allocate inter-regional medical resources, and fortify the resilience of rural households against economic risks.

How to restore the livelihood resilience of the rural vulnerable? Evidence from 1,356 households in rural China

How to restore the livelihood resilience of the rural vulnerable? Evidence from 1,356 households in rural China

Energy assessment in rural regions of China with various scenarios: Historical–to–futuristic

Approximately 172 million rural households in China in 2022, will still rely on traditional biofuels instead of electricity. This study explores the feasibility of achieving rural electrification in China utilization various Energy origins and assesses its potential impact on climate change mitigation. To do so, we employ the Regional Energy Model (REM) to formulate hypotheses for rural power distribution. Covering the era from 2020 until 2050. We evaluate consequences in terms of greenhouse gas discharges, principal energy consumption, associated expenses by comparing these possibilities with a Business-as-Usual (BU) scenario. Our findings reveal that diesel-based arrangements tend to produce ‘the maximum Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions, trailed by network-based solutions. Electrification focused on renewable energy-driven applications has the potential to reduce total CO2 emissions by up to 97 % and primary energy consumption by 43 % in 2050 compared to the BU scenario. We also find that electrification through decentralized diesel systems tends to be the priciest choice. Rural electrification utilizing renewable energy emerges as a cost-effective choice when the majority of end-use applications rely on renewable energy sources. However, it becomes less economical than network expansions when electric end-user appliances are predominant. In summary, this study investigates the viability of renewable energy for rural power distribution and its role in climate change abatement in rural China, offering policy suggestions.

The Impact of Rural–Urban Student Mobility on the Efficiency of Resource Allocation in China’s Rural Households: Optimization or Distortion?

The impact of rural-urban student mobility on the efficiency of resource allocation in China’s rural households is crucial for refining policies related to rural migrant settlement and the balanced allocation of urban and rural educational resources. Drawing on theoretical insights, this study employs a mixed methods approach—primarily qualitative, with quantitative support—to empirically test the impact of rural-urban student mobility on the resource allocation efficiency of rural households in China. Utilizing micro-survey data from China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), this study applies ordinary least squares (OLS) models, propensity score matching difference-in-differences (PSM-DID) models, and endogenous switching regression (ESR) models to ascertain the direction of this impact. Furthermore, this study incorporates in-depth interview data gathered from field research in D County to explore the dynamic mechanisms of resource allocation adjustments within these households. The results show that rural-urban student mobility significantly reduces the efficiency of labor resource allocation and agricultural production in China’s rural households. The impact is heterogeneous across different groups, most negatively affecting households with limited labor resources, lower educational levels, lower incomes, more productive fixed assets, and less self-owned land. Mobility leads to suboptimal occupational choices, resulting in decreased labor resource efficiency. Additionally, it distorts agricultural production by leading to labor loss, reduced investments in agricultural productivity, and misaligned land allocation decisions.

Assessing agricultural greenhouse gas emission mitigation by scaling up farm size: An empirical analysis based on rural household survey data

Agriculture is a major contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Farm size affects agricultural production inputs and thus has impacts on agricultural GHG emissions. However, the effects and mechanisms behind this are still unclear. In this paper, we identified the effects and mechanisms of farm size on agricultural GHG emissions, based on survey data about over 20,000 rural households in China from 2009 to 2016. Firstly, we calculated the agricultural CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions using the life-cycle analysis (LCA). Secondly, the impacts of farm size on GHG emissions intensity were explored with a fixed effect model, based on the long-term rural household survey data. Finally, the mechanisms were tested by the mediation effect model. The results showed that a 1 % increase in farm size, on average, could reduce the GHG emissions intensity of rural households by 0.245 % from 2009 to 2016. The mechanism analysis showed that the larger farm size reduced GHG emissions intensity mainly by reducing the non-fixed input intensity and raising fixed input investment. By identifying the impacts and mechanisms of farm size on agricultural GHG emissions, this paper aims to provide insights for policymakers to achieve China's goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2060.

Human capital of grassroots leaders and vulnerability to poverty: Evidence from rural China

This study examines the impact of the educational level of grassroots leaders on the vulnerability to poverty among villagers in China, using panel data from the National Fixed-Point Survey (NFS) from 2003 to 2015. Our findings indicate that a higher proportion of village cadres with a high school education or above significantly reduces the vulnerability to poverty among rural households in China. We identify two main mechanisms underlying this effect: (1) highly educated village cadres possess greater capabilities in assisting eligible poor households to understand and access government assistance programs, thereby increasing household transfer incomes; and (2) highly educated village cadres can alleviate household vulnerability to poverty by promoting local infrastructure development in the village. These results offer an alternative perspective on targeted poverty alleviation, suggesting that efforts should be directed toward enhancing the human capital level of local grassroots leaders or appointing highly educated leaders in underdeveloped villages.

Urban–Rural heterogeneity in the effect of population ageing on the savings rate of urban and rural households in China

As the second populous country in the world, China is confronted with the significant and rapid challenge of population ageing. The household savings rate is inevitably impacted by population ageing. Most existing research has been conducted using macro data from 31 provinces in China. However, most of them lacks consideration of urban-rural differences. Furthermore, there are concerns regarding the applicability of using macro data to study household-level microeconomic issues. Against this backdrop, the objectives of this paper are twofold: first, to investigate the effect of population ageing on the savings rates of urban and rural households in China. Second, this work examines whether urban–rural heterogeneity is evident in the impact of population ageing on household savings in China. This paper conducts a regression analysis on pseudo-panel data from 2010 to 2018 in China using micro-level household data from China Family Panel Studies and employing a Feasible Generalized Least Squares model. The key contribution of this paper is converting cross-sectional microdata into pseudo-panel data, enabling regression analysis within a logical and rigorous theoretical framework. It addresses limitations on existing literature, which predominantly relies on macro data. Additionally, the study takes into account heterogeneity, individual differences, and multicollinearity in regression model selection, thereby remedying the shortcomings of model selection in the majority of the existing literature based on pseudo-panel data. The findings reveal the heterogeneity of household savings rates in urban and rural China, as well as the heterogeneity of the impact of population ageing on the savings rates of urban and rural households in China. Specifically, population ageing significantly reduces household savings rates in both China and rural areas, but significantly increases the savings rates of urban households. Moreover, in the context of population ageing, urban household savings rates are significantly lower than those in rural areas. Policymakers should strengthen urbanization efforts to reduce the urban-rural disparity. In addition, to mitigate the impact of population ageing on savings rates, policymakers should encourage fertility in order to improve household demographics. They should also strengthen investment in education to reduce the burden of household expenditure on education. In addition, policymakers should promote entrepreneurship, provide job training in order to increase household incomes.

The effect of targeted poverty alleviation on consumption of poor rural households in China

Using a survey data of 358 rural households from Jiangxi province of China. This article uses the regression adjusted inverse probability weighted estimation method (IPWRA) to study the impact of precision poverty alleviation on the consumption of rural impoverished households. The empirical results of ATE estimation indicate that precision poverty alleviation has a significant impact on the total consumption and food, clothing, education and living consumption of impoverished households, but has no significant impact on transportation, communication and miscellaneous consumption. Moreover, the poverty alleviation has the largest effect on consumption of education, followed by food.

A study on energy-water-food-carbon nexus in typical Chinese northern rural households

The energy-water-food-carbon nexus of rural households requires different strategies from those of urban households. This study proposes a nexus framework and a quantitative method to analyze the energy, water, food, and carbon of typical northern rural households in China. A system dynamic model of the rural household energy-water-food-carbon nexus was developed. Three scenarios were designed, namely appliance, behavior, and price, with 42 sub scenarios in total to explore the medium to long-term dynamic changes in energy-water-food-carbon in rural households under different scenarios. The results of the appliance scenario show that there is a strong water-gas and food-gas nexus effect in northern rural households. Compared with the BAU scenario, reducing the consumption of meat and dairy by 5% can save 11.89% of gas and reduce 5.64% of carbon. Moreover, the policy simulation results indicate that a policy will affect not only its target subsystem, but also other subsystems, creating a policy nexus. The behavior adjustment scenarios have a strong nexus effect on water and energy, and resource price adjustment scenarios have a good effect on water and food consumption. Therefore, when making policies at the household level, policy makers need to look at each subsystem comprehensively, use the synergistic effect of policies skillfully and avoid the antagonistic effect of policies, in order to optimize the positive effect of policies.

The role of rural internet adoption in shaping consumption breadth and inequality: evidence from the Chinese Social Survey

ABSTRACT This study delves into the impact of Internet adoption on consumption breadth and inequality, utilizing micro-survey data from 24,291 rural households in China gathered between 2013 and 2021. It quantifies Internet adoption intensity, employs specialized indices to gauge consumption breadth and inequality, and meticulously assesses the micro-level effects of Internet usage on consumption breadth and inequality. The results reveal that Internet adoption among farmers significantly boosts familial consumption breadth while reducing consumption inequality. These findings remain robust after rigorous testing. Internet adoption’s impact on inclusive growth varies and is influenced by policy contexts, time frames, and income groups. Tailored, context-specific strategies are imperative for effectively addressing these disparities. Lastly, increased Internet adoption among farmers stimulates non-agricultural employment, resulting in more non-agricultural labour hours, a more significant non-agricultural labour force, and higher non-agricultural income shares. These changes positively affect the breadth of familial consumption and negatively affect consumption inequality. This study underscores the pivotal role of the Internet in propelling inclusive growth and offers robust evidence to support harnessing its potential for bolstering consumption breadth and reducing inequality within the framework of the digital economy.

Time preferences and energy consumption of rural household in China

Recent empirical evidence suggests that time preferences have significant effects on intertemporal investment, saving behavior and asset pricing. However, limited research has been conducted on the impact of time preferences on energy consumption. This study aims to investigate the relationship between time preferences and energy consumption among rural households in China, using survey data collected on energy consumption patterns. The results reveal that as time preferences increase, there is a reduction in the diversity of energy sources used by households, and this finding remains robust after rigorous testing. Moreover, our findings support the applicability of the energy ladder theory in rural China, indicating that higher household income can mitigate the inhibiting effect of time preferences on the transition and improvement of energy sources. Additionally, policies promoting energy accessibility, raising awareness about high-quality energy sources, and facilitating credit access significantly promote rural households' advancement on the energy ladder toward superior-quality sources. These policy measures, along with heightened awareness and credit access, can alleviate time preference constraints on the energy transition of rural households. Consequently, we recommend enhancing future policies focusing on efficiency and providing customized financial support for energy initiatives.

Gender imbalance, wife’s bargain power and shrinking household size in Rural China

Household size in rural China has seen a shrinking trend in the past decades. This has been attributed to the one-child policy, low fertility rates, and population migration under rapid urbanization. This paper suggests that the gender imbalance in the marriage market has improved the bargaining power of wives, which has led them to divide up the family and live apart from their parents-in-law. This trend has improved the share of doubleton families and decreased the size of households in rural China. Employing nationally representative survey data, empirical evidence indicates that the gender imbalance has significant positive effects on the probability of married women living apart from parents-in-law. This effect is stronger in rural China than in urban China. This paper sheds light on the driving forces of shrinking household size in rural China and has important implications for future family policies such as supporting the elderly in rural China.

An analysis of the poverty reduction effects on land transfer: Evidence from rural areas in China.

This paper develops a multidimensional poverty index (MPI) evaluation system using multiple measures. We use the China Family Panel Study (CFPS) data to build balanced panel data from 2012 to 2018. Employing the probit model to analyze the impact of land transfer on relative poverty incidence, as well as utilizing the two-way fixed effects model and the logit model, we approach the issue from the perspective of multidimensional relative poverty identification. Our study indicates a decrease in relative poverty among rural households since 2012. Nonetheless, the overall incidence of relative poverty among rural households in China remains high at 20.6%, highlighting the severity of this issue in rural China. Moreover, we examine the heterogeneity of the poverty reduction effects of land transfer-in and land transfer-out. Land transfer can significantly reduce the incidence of relative poverty among rural households, with distinct mechanisms for land transfer-in and land transfer-out. Land transfer-in primarily reduces the relative poverty incidence of rural households through the education, housing, and land dimensions, while land transfer-out focuses on the quality-of-life dimension. Overall, land transfer-out has a more significant poverty reduction effect than land transfer-in. Furthermore, our study reveals that the reduction effect of land transfer on the incidence of relative poverty among rural households persists for at least two years, but by the fourth year, this effect disappears.