IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/jregsc/v66y2026i2p602-625.html

Internal Migration and Structural Change in China

Author

Listed:
  • Yi Wang
  • Giulia Felice

Abstract

This study empirically examines how internal migration in China has affected the shift in employment from agriculture to non‐agricultural sectors using spatially granular destination areas (prefecture‐level cities). The methodology quantifies both direct and indirect effects of internal migration: the direct effects reflect migration shocks on factor and product markets, while the indirect effects capture migration's influence on income per capita and sectoral productivity. Instrumental‐variable estimates in 2SLS and 3SLS regressions indicate that migration substantially contributed to structural change. We find that both a direct effect and an indirect effect operating through increases in relative agricultural productivity contribute to the rise in the employment share of non‐agricultural sectors. This article discusses the broader implications of these effects for China's economic growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Yi Wang & Giulia Felice, 2026. "Internal Migration and Structural Change in China," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 66(2), pages 602-625, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jregsc:v:66:y:2026:i:2:p:602-625
    DOI: 10.1111/jors.70049
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/jors.70049
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/jors.70049?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:jregsc:v:66:y:2026:i:2:p:602-625. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0022-4146 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.