Chinese Household Income Project Series

The purpose of the Chinese Household Income Project was to measure and estimate the distribution of personal income in both rural and urban areas of the People's Republic of China. The principal investigators based their definition of income on cash payments and on a broad range of additional components: payments in kind valued at market prices, agricultural output produced for self-consumption valued at market prices, the value of ration coupons and other direct subsidies, and the imputed value of housing. Data were collected through a series of questionnaire-based interviews conducted in rural and urban areas in 1988, 1995, 2002, 2007, and 2013. Individual respondents reported on their economic status, employment, level of education, sources of income, household composition, and household expenditures.

The Chinese Household Income Project collected data in 1988, 1995, 2002, 2007, and 2013. ICPSR holds data from the first three collections. Data collected in 2007 are available through the China Institute for Income Distribution.

Chinese Household Income Project, 1988
The rural component of this collection consists of two data files, one in which the individual is the unit of analysis and a second in which the household is the unit of analysis. Individual rural respondents reported on their employment status, level of education, Communist Party membership, and other sources of income. Rural households reported extensively on the character of the household and residence. The urban component of this collection also consists of two data files, one in which the individual is the unit of analysis and a second in which the household is the unit of analysis. Individual urban respondents reported on their economic status within the household, Communist Party membership, nature of employment, and relationship to the household head. Information was collected on all types and sources of income from each member of the household. Urban households reported total income, all types and values of food rations received, and total debt. Households reported on all of their expenditures. (more).

Chinese Household Income Project, 1995
The rural component of this collection consists of two data files, one in which the individual is the unit of analysis and a second in which the household is the unit of analysis. Individual rural respondents reported on their employment status, level of education, Communist Party membership, and other sources of income. Rural households reported extensively on the character of the household and residence. The urban component of this collection also consists of two data files, one in which the individual is the unit of analysis and a second in which the household is the unit of analysis. Individual urban respondents reported on their economic status within the household, Communist Party membership, nature of employment, and relationship to the household head. Information was collected on all types and sources of income from each member of the household. Urban households reported total income, all types and values of food rations received, and total debt. Households reported on all of their expenditures. (more).

Chinese Household Income Project, 2002
Data were collected through a series of questionnaire-based interviews conducted in rural and urban areas at the end of 2002. There are ten separate datasets. The first four datasets were derived from the urban questionnaire. The first contains data about individuals living in urban areas. The second contains data about urban households. The third contains individual-level economic variables copied from the initial urban interview form. The fourth contains household-level economic variables copied from the initial urban interview form. The fifth dataset contains village-level data, which was obtained by interviewing village leaders. The sixth contains data about individuals living in rural areas. The seventh contains data about rural households, as well as most of the data from a social network questionnaire which was presented to rural households. The eighth contains the rest of the data from the social network questionnaire and is specifically about the activities of rural school-age children. The ninth dataset contains data about individuals who have migrated from rural to urban areas, and the tenth dataset contains data about rural-urban migrant households. (more).