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Can Information Influence the Social Insurance Participation Decision of China's Rural Migrants?

Author

Listed:
  • Giles,John T.
  • Meng,Xin
  • Xue,Sen
  • Zhao,Guochang

Abstract

This paper uses a randomized information intervention to shed light on whether poor understanding of social insurance, both the process of enrolling and costs and benefits, drives the relatively low rates of participation in urban health insurance and pension programs among China's rural-urban migrants. Among workers without a contract, the information intervention has a strong positive effect on participation in health insurance and, among younger age groups, in pension programs. Migrants are responsive to price: in cities where the premiums are low relative to earnings, information induces health insurance participation, while declines are observed in cities with high relative premiums.

Suggested Citation

  • Giles,John T. & Meng,Xin & Xue,Sen & Zhao,Guochang, 2018. "Can Information Influence the Social Insurance Participation Decision of China's Rural Migrants?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 8658, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:8658
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Li, Lixing & Liu, Kevin Zhengcheng & Nie, Zhuo & Xi, Tianyang, 2021. "Evading by any means? VAT enforcement and payroll tax evasion in China," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 185(C), pages 770-784.
    2. Baixue Yu & Geng Niu & Jingjing Ye & Wen‐wen Zhang, 2023. "Human capital agglomeration, institutional barriers, and internal migration in China," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(1), pages 284-303, March.
    3. Torm, Nina & Oehme, Marty, 2024. "Social protection and formalization in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review of the literature," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    4. Menghan Shen & Zhiwei Tang & Xiaoxia Liang & Xiaoyang Ye, 2025. "Migrant children's take‐up of social health insurance: Experimental evidence from China," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(2), pages 456-482, March.
    5. Peihua Deng & Ronnie Schöb, 2024. "Group‐specific redistribution, inequality, and subjective well‐being in China," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 70(3), pages 862-882, September.
    6. Nana Xu & Zhao Rong & Li Yu, 2024. "Credit cards and commercial insurance participation: Evidence from urban households in China," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 64(1), pages 1159-1182, March.
    7. Zhiling Wang & Lu Chen, 2019. "Destination choices of Chinese rural–urban migrant workers: Jobs, amenities, and local spillovers," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(3), pages 586-609, June.
    8. 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.
    9. Li, Lingfang(Ivy) & Wu, Yuting & Zhu, Xun & Chu, Rongwei & Hung, Iris W., 2024. "Job changing frequency and experimental decisions: A field study of migrant workers in the manufacturing industry," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    10. Bai, Chong-En & Chi, Wei & Liu, Tracy Xiao & Tang, Chao & Xu, Jian, 2021. "Boosting pension enrollment and household consumption by example: A field experiment on information provision," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    11. Gao, Wenjing & Mao, Jie & Shi, Xinzheng, 2024. "Do firms benefit from public information services: Evidence from a tax hotline program in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    12. Huang, Li & Jiang, Xiandeng, 2025. "Risk-taking in gambling cultures and social security contributions – evidence from Chinese small and micro enterprises," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • H53 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs
    • H55 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Social Security and Public Pensions
    • J46 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Informal Labor Market
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements
    • O53 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Asia including Middle East
    • P35 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Public Finance

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