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Changing Patterns of the Floating Population in China, 2000–2010

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  • Zai Liang
  • Zhen Li
  • Zhongdong Ma

Abstract

type="main"> Using data from the 2000 and 2010 Chinese population censuses and applying a consistent definition of migration, we examine changing patterns of China's floating population during 2000–2010. During the first decade of the twenty-first century, there have been significant changes in China's floating population, as reflected in a continuing growth of interprovincial floating population and the growth of the floating population in China's western and interior regions, geographic diversification of destinations for the floating population, a major increase in interprovincial return migration, and significant improvement in education and occupational profiles among the floating population. We argue that these patterns are driven by domestic and international factors, including the newly released Labor Law, removal of agricultural tax, the western China development program, increased investment in education by the Chinese government, and the global financial crisis. We also discuss several challenges facing the floating population, which include limited educational opportunity for migrant children and inadequate housing and social welfare protection for the floating population.

Suggested Citation

  • Zai Liang & Zhen Li & Zhongdong Ma, 2014. "Changing Patterns of the Floating Population in China, 2000–2010," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 40(4), pages 695-716, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:popdev:v:40:y:2014:i:4:p:695-716
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kam Wing Chan, 2010. "The Global Financial Crisis and Migrant Workers in China: ‘There is No Future as a Labourer; Returning to the Village has No Meaning’," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(3), pages 659-677, September.
    2. Meng, Xin & Zhang, Junsen, 2001. "The Two-Tier Labor Market in Urban China: Occupational Segregation and Wage Differentials between Urban Residents and Rural Migrants in Shanghai," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 485-504, September.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Su, Yaqin & Tesfazion, Petros & Zhao, Zhong, 2018. "Where are the migrants from? Inter- vs. intra-provincial rural-urban migration in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 142-155.
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    4. Li, Lingfang (Ivy) & Wu, Yuting & Zhu, Xun & Chu, Rongwei & Hung, Iris, 2022. "Job Changing Frequency and Experimental Decisions: A Field Study of Migrant Workers in the Manufacturing Industry," MPRA Paper 115472, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Clark Gray & Douglas Hopping & Valerie Mueller, 2020. "The changing climate-migration relationship in China, 1989–2011," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 160(1), pages 103-122, May.
    6. Pamela Lenton & Lu Yin, 2016. "The Educational Success of China’s Young Generation of Rural-to-Urban Migrants," Working Papers 2016007, The University of Sheffield, Department of Economics.
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    9. Prema†chandra Athukorala & Zheng Wei, 2018. "Economic Transition And Labour Market Dynamics In China: An Interpretative Survey Of The €˜Turning Point’ Debate," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(2), pages 420-439, April.

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