IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/streco/v75y2025icp9-19.html

Impact of household size and structure on carbon emissions in China

Author

Listed:
  • Yang, Kaitong
  • Wu, Jun
  • Li, Ling
  • Mi, Zhifu
  • Yang, Junai
  • Tang, Ling

Abstract

China’s household dynamics are shifting towards smaller household sizes and lower fertility rates, trends that significantly influence consumption patterns and carbon emissions. This study investigates the discrepancies in household consumption and carbon footprint among different household sizes and structures in China by utilizing an environmentally extended multiregional input‒output model and a China’s household consumption survey. The results reveal that the per capita household carbon footprint decreases with increasing household size. However, even within households of the same size, the per capita carbon footprint varies among different household structures, with households having fewer children typically generating lower emissions. We also found regional and urban‒rural disparities in the household carbon footprint, and these gaps narrow as household size expands. This paper underscores the importance of considering household size and structure when formulating policies aimed at mitigating climate change.

Suggested Citation

  • Yang, Kaitong & Wu, Jun & Li, Ling & Mi, Zhifu & Yang, Junai & Tang, Ling, 2025. "Impact of household size and structure on carbon emissions in China," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 9-19.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:streco:v:75:y:2025:i:c:p:9-19
    DOI: 10.1016/j.strueco.2025.05.002
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0954349X25000669
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.strueco.2025.05.002?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    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:eee:streco:v:75:y:2025:i:c:p:9-19. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/525148 .

    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.