Living Arrangements of the Elderly in China: Evidence from CHARLS

Xiaoyan Lei (), John Strauss, Meng Tian and Yaohui Zhao ()
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Xiaoyan Lei: Peking University
Yaohui Zhao: Peking University

No 6249, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: Recent increases in Chinese elderly living alone or only with a spouse has raised concerns about elderly support, especially when public support is inadequate. However, using rich information from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, we find that the increasing trend in living alone is accompanied with a rise in living close to each other. This type of living arrangement solves the conflicts between privacy/independence and family support. This is confirmed in further investigation: children living close by visit their parents more frequently. We also find that children who live far away provide a larger amount of net transfers to their parents, a result consistent with responsibility sharing among siblings. Having more children is associated with living with a child or having a child nearby, while investing more in a child's schooling is associated with greater net transfers to parents.

Keywords: living arrangement; coresidence; proximity of children; CHARLS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J12 J14 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 36 pages
Date: 2011-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-age, nep-cna, nep-dem, nep-dev and nep-tra
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (27)

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Working Paper: Living Arrangements of the Elderly in China Evidence from CHARLS (2011)
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