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Human Capital and the Middle Income Trap: How Many of China's Youth are Going to High School?

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  • Lei Wang
  • Mengjie Li
  • Cody Abbey
  • Scott Rozelle

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to assess the nature of China's human capital. To achieve our objective, we both measure the share of the labor force that has attained upper secondary schooling levels (high school) as well as examine recent trends of 15–17 year olds who are attending high school. Using two sets of national representative data, we are able to show that, while the human capital of China's labor force is still low (30%), between 2005 and 2015 the share of rural youth who attended high school rose sharply. According to Ministry of Education–reported statistics, in 2015 87% of 15–17 year olds were attending high school, up from around 50% in 2005. Given the recent pronouncements of the government to make high school universal by 2020, the challenges for the education system are to increase the attendance of rural as well as vocational education and training students.

Suggested Citation

  • Lei Wang & Mengjie Li & Cody Abbey & Scott Rozelle, 2018. "Human Capital and the Middle Income Trap: How Many of China's Youth are Going to High School?," The Developing Economies, Institute of Developing Economies, vol. 56(2), pages 82-103, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:deveco:v:56:y:2018:i:2:p:82-103
    DOI: 10.1111/deve.12165
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    Cited by:

    1. Huan Wang & Jingjing Tang & Sarah-Eve Dill & Jiusi Xiao & Matthew Boswell & Claire Cousineau & Scott Rozelle, 2022. "Bullying Victims in Rural Primary Schools: Prevalence, Correlates, and Consequences," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(2), pages 1-18, January.
    2. Siqi Zhang & Ruirui Dang & Ning Yang & Yu Bai & Lei Wang & Cody Abbey & Scott Rozelle, 2018. "Effect of Caregiver’s Mental Health on Early Childhood Development across Different Rural Communities in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-25, October.
    3. Wang, Lei & Liang, Wilson & Zhang, Siqi & Jonsson, Laura & Li, Mengjie & Yu, Cordelia & Sun, Yonglei & Ma, Qingrui & Bai, Yu & Abbey, Cody & Luo, Renfu & Yue, Ai & Rozelle, Scott, 2019. "Are infant/toddler developmental delays a problem across rural China?," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 458-469.
    4. Borsi, Mihály Tamás & Valerio Mendoza, Octasiano Miguel & Comim, Flavio, 2022. "Measuring the provincial supply of higher education institutions in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    5. Lu, Ming & Zhang, Xi, 2019. "Towards an intelligent country: China’s higher education expansion and rural children’s senior high school participation," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 1-1.
    6. Keijiro Otsuka & Tetsushi Sonobe, 2018. "The Role of Human Capital in Cluster†Based Industrial Development," The Developing Economies, Institute of Developing Economies, vol. 56(2), pages 104-116, June.
    7. Bai, Chen & Chen, Xiaomeng & Han, Keqing, 2020. "Mobile phone addiction and school performance among Chinese adolescents from low-income families: A moderated mediation model," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    8. Wang, Sun Ling & Huang, Jikun & Wang, Xiaobing & Tuan, Francis, 2019. "Are China’s regional agricultural productivities converging: How and why?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 1-1.
    9. Chang, Fang & Jiang, Yuxi & Loyalka, Prashant & Chu, James & Shi, Yaojiang & Osborn, Annie & Rozelle, Scott, 2019. "Parental migration, educational achievement, and mental health of junior high school students in rural China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 337-349.
    10. Hannah Johnstone & Yi Yang & Hao Xue & Scott Rozelle, 2021. "Infant Cognitive Development and Stimulating Parenting Practices in Rural China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-16, May.
    11. Bing Xu & William A.V. Clark & Eric Fong & Li Gan, 2020. "Introduction to the special collection on life course decisions of families in China," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 43(5), pages 129-142.
    12. Xiaoshan Hu & Guanghua Wan & Chen Yang & Anqi Zhang, 2023. "Inequality and the middle‐income trap," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(7), pages 1684-1710, October.
    13. Huan Zhou & Ruixue Ye & Sean Sylvia & Nathan Rose & Scott Rozelle, 2020. "“At three years of age, we can see the future”: Cognitive skills and the life cycle of rural Chinese children," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 43(7), pages 169-182.

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