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The difference in social welfare between urban and rural areas and the reform of the household registration system: evidence based on the satisfaction of Chinese residents

Long Xu,Xiansheng Chen,Yuqing Han,Fen Li

Published 2025 in Cogent Social Sciences

ABSTRACT

Abstract Based on data from the Chinese General Social Survey, this study constructs a multidimensional evaluation system covering public education, health care, housing security and other social welfare areas to empirically examine differences in residents’ social welfare satisfaction under the urban–rural household registration system. The research finds that urban residents exhibit higher social welfare satisfaction than rural counterparts. While urban–rural public education satisfaction appears convergent superficially, significant gaps exist in quality dimensions, with rural areas lagging behind cities. The contradiction between adequacy and accessibility of medical resources between urban and rural areas is acute. Notably, in housing security, rural residents show higher satisfaction with low-rent housing and public rental housing compared to urban residents. Rural satisfaction is also lower in infrastructure, public culture, employment, social security and elderly care services. The study proposes countermeasures including establishing a fiscal equalization mechanism dynamically matching welfare gaps, implementing stratified household registration reforms adapted to city scales, and deepening welfare equalization in education, healthcare, housing and other domains. However, the investigation results of this paper are based on the measurement of residents’ subjective satisfaction and cross-sectional design, and the causal relationship between the two cannot be established through causal identification design. Further empirical tests are needed in the future. IMPACT STATEMENT This study sheds light on the persistent disparities in social welfare satisfaction between urban and rural residents in China, with significant gaps identified in education, healthcare, housing, and elderly care. By constructing a multidimensional evaluation framework, the research provides robust empirical evidence for understanding how institutional arrangements such as the household registration system shape welfare inequality. The findings not only advance scholarly debates on social welfare and equity but also offer actionable insights for policymakers to design targeted reforms that promote welfare equalization and improve the quality of life for rural populations.

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