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Note on urbanization in China: Urban definitions and census data

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  • Qin, Bo
  • Zhang, Yu

Abstract

The first release of the Sixth National Population Census results in April 2011 revealed that mainland China had a total population of 1339.72 million, of which 665.58 million resided in urbanized areas. This suggested that the urbanization process had accelerated during the period 2000–2010, with an increase of the urbanization rate from 36.09% to 49.68%. However, due to the incomparability of the Censuses data, caution must be taken when urbanists investigate or model Chinese cities by such datasets. This research note summarizes and compares the shifting definitions of city (市,shi) and urban population (城市人口,chengshi renkou) statistics with an emphasis on the Sixth Census, and analyzes their implications for measuring and understanding the urbanization process in China.

Suggested Citation

  • Qin, Bo & Zhang, Yu, 2014. "Note on urbanization in China: Urban definitions and census data," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 495-502.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:chieco:v:30:y:2014:i:c:p:495-502
    DOI: 10.1016/j.chieco.2014.07.008
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    Cited by:

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    2. Audrey Dorélien & Hongwei Xu, 2020. "Estimating rural–urban disparities in self-rated health in China: Impact of choice of urban definition," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 43(49), pages 1429-1460.
    3. Dinglin Zhang & Yangyi Wu & Meitong Liu, 2023. "Characterizing Sprawl Development in Urban China: A Perspective from Urban Amenity," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-17, June.
    4. Qingxu Huang & Yang Yang & Yajing Li & Bin Gao, 2016. "A Simulation Study on the Urban Population of China Based on Nighttime Light Data Acquired from DMSP/OLS," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(6), pages 1-13, May.
    5. WU, Jidong & LI, Ning & SHI, Peijun, 2014. "Benchmark wealth capital stock estimations across China's 344 prefectures: 1978 to 2012," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 288-302.
    6. Ying Ge & Yingxia Pu & Mengdi Sun, 2021. "Alternative measure of border effects across regions: Ripley's K‐function method," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 100(1), pages 287-302, February.
    7. Ivan Roberts & Trent Saunders & Gareth Spence & Natasha Cassidy, 2016. "China's Evolving Demand for Commodities," RBA Annual Conference Volume (Discontinued), in: Iris Day & John Simon (ed.),Structural Change in China: Implications for Australia and the World, Reserve Bank of Australia.
    8. Tandel, Vaidehi & Hiranandani, Komal & Kapoor, Mudit, 2019. "What’s in a definition? A study on the suitability of the current urban definition in India through its employment guarantee programme," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 69-84.
    9. Potts, Deborah, 2017. "Conflict and Collisions in Sub-Saharan African Urban Definitions: Interpreting Recent Urbanization Data From Kenya," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 67-78.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Urban definitions; Urban population statistics; The Sixth Census; Urbanization;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J10 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - General
    • O21 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Development Planning and Policy - - - Planning Models; Planning Policy
    • P25 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population

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