Can Labor Out-Migration Reduce Firewood Consumption by Rural Households in Western Mountainous China

The relationship between out-migration of labor in the Qinling mountain area and households' firewood consumption is explored. Migration and remittances reduce households' firewood consumption due to increases in both income and opportunity cost of firewood collection. Previous studies have been equivocal because they ignored uncertainty in household economy, which is widespread in forest areas of less developed countries. This study provides additional insight by considering vulnerability and subjective assessment of poverty generated by unstable income and an uncertain future. We provide evidence that the amount of firewood consumed depends on income and opportunity cost of firewood collection, but also on a prudent consumption strategy, due to farmers' subjective assessment of their future possible poverty. We also find out-migration of labor can reduce per capita firewood consumption but subjective poverty also acts against reduction of firewood consumption.

Examining the Influence of Fertility Policy Adjustments on Gender Equality in China During the Period of Exceptionally Slow Population Growth

The Chinese population is entering a new stage of development,marked by the fertility intentions of women of childbearing age continuing to decline and concerns over their consistently low fertility rates.The number of newborns has been decreasing annually,with 2022 figures falling below 10 million for the first time since the founding of the People’s Republic of China,resulting in negative population growth(1).Currently,China’s population over the age of 60 years is nearing 300 million and is projected to surpass 20%of the total population during the 14th Five-Year Plan period.

Male marriage squeeze and a sociodemographic portrait of involuntary bachelors in rural China

This study uses,primarily,the 2020 National Population Census data to comprehensively examine the phenomenon of the“male marriage squeeze”and provide a socio-demographic portrait of involuntary bachelors in rural China.The descriptive findings make clear the pronounced male marriage squeeze in rural China.In 2020,China recorded its highest historical sex ratio of marriageable population,reaching 110.The age-specific proportions of never-married men surpass those of women,particularly in rural areas where a significant proportion of men remain unmarried throughout their lives.Between 2010 and 2020,men in rural areas exhibited a notable trend of delayed marriage.The likelihood of rural men getting married steadily declined during this decade,with rural men significantly less likely to get married than urban men.In China,the concentration of involuntary bachelors is mainly in rural areas,characterized by lower socioeconomic status,and inferior living conditions.While educational qualification among involuntary bachelors in rural areas has improved,it still lags behind that of currently or previously married men.Another problem is that the elderly population in rural areas faces resource scarcity,increasing the reliance on the minimum subsistence allowance.Elderly involuntary bachelors are generally in poorer health than their married peers,and the health disparity is widening.To make matters worse,a high percentage of these men live alone.

Generalized Population Aging in China: A National-Level Analysis Based on Provincial Simulations

The age structure of the Chinese population is entering a process of generalized aging in which the major age groupings will see a fall in the ratio of younger age groups and a rise in the ratio of older age groups,with varying levels of socioeconomic significance for the entire population system.The implementation of the unconditional two-child policy(quanmian erhai zhengce)has not changed this general trend.The early stage of population aging(2011-2060)is one of the high-speed development of generalized aging with multiple growth peaks and fluctuations in the size,growth rate and internal structure of the major age groupings.From the perspective of generalized population aging,China’s future contains four major systemic demographic dividends and faces four major systemic demographic risks.The early stage of aging is the most important period for the transformation of the population age structure.If society can adjust to the aging trend and the phased nature of the development of this trend,it will be able to seize the initiative in long-term development.

Population dynamics in northwestern China

This article analyzes the population dynamics in northwestern China from roughly 2010 to 2020.The area’s dynamics showed a slow,stable increase in population size,a stable increase in the population of non-Han ethnic groups,which increased at a more rapidly than the Han population,and population rejuvenation coupled with a population structure that aged.The biological sex structure fluctuated within a balanced range in northwestern China.Urbanization advanced in northwestern China,throughout this period,but the area’s level of urbanization is still significantly lower than the average level of urbanization nationally.

Effect of Sex Composition of Children on the Gender of Next Birth in the Context of Low Fertility in Rural China

China currently has the world's most skewed national sex ratio at birth.In this paper,we use data from China's 2001 National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Survey and employ hierarchical logistic models to study how macro factors(mainly fertility policy and economic indicators,as represented by per capita GDP of the village units sampled in this research)and micro factors(mainly fertility intention and sex composition of children)affect the gender of the next birth.We find that the effect of fertility policies is intertwined with the sex composition of children already born.For those couples who have had a son(or sons),fertility policy exerts no effect;but for those with only daughters,the effect is significant.Furthermore,fertility intention,independent from fertility policy,has a significant effect on the gender of the next birth.