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Poverty and Subjective Poverty in Rural China

Author

Listed:
  • Hanjie Wang

    (University of Goettingen)

  • Qiran Zhao

    (China Agricultural University)

  • Yunli Bai

    (Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Linxiu Zhang

    (Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Xiaohua Yu

    (University of Goettingen)

Abstract

China is undergoing a campaign which is called “The Targeted Poverty Alleviation Policy” to eradicate extreme poverty from rural China until 2020. Though poverty in rural China has been studied intensively in different objective dimensions, little attention has been paid to poverty line settings and subjective poverty, which are hinged to the policy effects. In order to fill in the research gap, this study employs a nationally representative survey of rural households in 2016, to measure subjective poverty in rural China, and analyze the determinants as well. Our results indicate that the mean subjective poverty line of the rural households is 8297 yuan per capita, which is far higher than the national poverty line (2800 yuan). Statistically, 29% of the surveyed rural households who are not objectively poor feel subjectively poor. The objective poverty line cannot fully reflect the subjective poverty perception. Thus, how to reduce the subjective poverty perception could be a major policy agenda in rural China after 2020, when extreme poverty is no longer a problem.

Suggested Citation

  • Hanjie Wang & Qiran Zhao & Yunli Bai & Linxiu Zhang & Xiaohua Yu, 2020. "Poverty and Subjective Poverty in Rural China," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 150(1), pages 219-242, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:150:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1007_s11205-020-02303-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-020-02303-0
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    2. Chaoxin Jiang & Qiang Ren & Shan Jiang & Lin Wang & Lei Dong & Mingwei Wang, 2021. "Association Between Objective and Subjective Deprivation and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Chinese Adolescents: Hope as a Moderator," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 14(6), pages 2417-2432, December.
    3. Komatsu, Sho & Suzuki, Aya, 2021. "The Impact of Rural E-Commerce Development on Rural Income and Urban-Rural Income Inequality in China: A Panel Data Analysis," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315050, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    4. Rajko Tomaš, 2022. "Measurement of the Concentration of Potential Quality of Life in Local Communities," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 163(1), pages 79-109, August.
    5. Boou Chen & Chunkai Zhao, 2021. "Poverty reduction in rural China: Does the digital finance matter?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(12), pages 1-27, December.
    6. Zhao, Chunkai & Chen, Boou & Song, Zhiyong, 2024. "School nutritious feeding and cognitive abilities of students in poverty: Evidence from the nutrition improvement program in China," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    7. Fei Wang & Yuan Zhang & Clem Tisdell & Hong Liu, 2021. "Progress in Reducing the Poverty of Ethnic Minority Groups in China," Social Economics, Policy and Development Working Papers 313747, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    8. Xia, Fangzhou & Huang, Jing & Zhang, Zhengfeng, 2024. "Government concerns, the benefit cliff, and land use: A comparative study of rural impoverished and marginalised impoverished groups," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    9. Chen, Shaohua & Ravallion, Martin, 2021. "Reconciling the conflicting narratives on poverty in China," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    10. Xiuli Wang & Barnabas C. Seyler & Ting Chen & Weiyan Jian & Hongqiao Fu & Baofeng Di & Winnie Yip & Jay Pan, 2024. "Disparity in healthcare seeking behaviors between impoverished and non-impoverished populations with implications for healthcare resource optimization," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-12, December.
    11. Suxia Li & Meng Cai, 2024. "Social support and reference group: the dual action mechanism of the social network on subjective poverty," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-14, December.
    12. Shuo Ding, 2023. "Vulnerability to Poverty in Chinese Households with Elderly Members: 2013–2018," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-30, March.
    13. Zhengjie Zhang & Jiahao Song & Caixia Yan & Dingde Xu & Wei Wang, 2022. "Rural Household Differentiation and Poverty Vulnerability: An Empirical Analysis Based on the Field Survey in Hubei, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-15, April.
    14. Cheng, Zhiming & Tani, Massimiliano & Wang, Haining, 2021. "Energy poverty and entrepreneurship," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    15. Yingfeng Fang & Fen Zhang, 2021. "The Future Path To China’s Poverty Reduction—Dynamic Decomposition Analysis With The Evolution Of China’s Poverty Reduction Policies," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 158(2), pages 507-538, December.
    16. Liquan Qu & Weidong Xiao & Weidong Gao, 2022. "Do Resettled People Adapt to Their Current Geographical Environment? Evidence from Poverty-Stricken Areas of Northwest Yunnan Province, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-20, December.
    17. Hongzhang Xu & Jamie Pittock & Katherine A. Daniell, 2021. "China: A New Trajectory Prioritizing Rural Rather Than Urban Development?," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-29, May.
    18. Verónica Amarante & Maira Colacce & Federico Scalese, 2024. "Poverty in Latin America: feelings/perceptions Vs. material conditions," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 24-01, Instituto de Economía - IECON.
    19. He, Ling & Tan, Chee-Seng & Pung, Pit-Wan & Hu, Jie & Tang, Hai-Bo & Cheng, Siew-May, 2023. "The role of parental rejection and poverty in the development of prosocial behavior among left-behind adolescents in rural China," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    20. Chenhong Peng & Yik-Wa Law, 2023. "How Do Consumption Patterns Influence the Discrepancy Between Economic and Subjective Poverty?," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 1579-1604, April.

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