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The View from the County: China's Regional Inequalities of Socio-Economic Development

Author

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  • Peng Zhang

    (Economics and Management School, Wuhan University)

  • Mann Xu

    (Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University)

Abstract

The central contribution of this paper is to provide a description and analysis of spatial inequalities in China at the county scale. Previous accounts have concentrated primarily on crude provincial level economic data. By using data from more than 2000 counties, and in focusing on socio-economic agendas, it is the aim of this paper to provide a more nuanced and sophisticated account of China's inequalities in the 2000 decade. The result shows that fiscal revenue/expenditure, financial loans, education (proxies by school enrolment rate), health care (proxies by hospital beds) and social welfare (proxies by beds in social welfare nursing centres) are the cause of major inequality when analysed from the county point of view.

Suggested Citation

  • Peng Zhang & Mann Xu, 2011. "The View from the County: China's Regional Inequalities of Socio-Economic Development," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 12(1), pages 183-198, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:cuf:journl:y:2011:v:12:i:1:p:183-198
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    China; County; Inequality; GIS; Economic; Social;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • I30 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General
    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure
    • R58 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Regional Development Planning and Policy

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