Drifting in the City: Residential Mobility of China’s Internal Migrants Drifting in the City: Residential Mobility of China’s Internal Migrants Weiping Wu Associate Professor Urban Studies and Planning Virginia Commonwealth University December 2007

Migrant profiles (2005/2006 surveys)

Percentage of movers

Average mobility rate per annum (%)

Annual mobility rates & duration of residence

Regression estimates for mover status

Regression on mobility rate

Regression on monthly rent

Reasons for renting current housing

Reasons for leaving previous housing

Tenure patterns of mobility (SH&BJ 2000)

Spatial patterns of mobility (SH&BJ 2000)

New migrants by entry cohort (SH&BJ 2000)

Spatial mobility between first and current residence by entry cohort (SH 2000)

Double divides in China  The rural-urban divide has its historical roots. The pursuit of a development strategy that promoted heavy industries during allowed rural-urban distinction to widen. Main enforcement mechanisms were a trinity of institutions, including unified procurement and sale of agricultural products, commune system, and hukou system.  The local-nonlocal divide also has historical roots, as migrants throughout China’s history have encountered varied forms of mistreatment. Hukou institutionalizes this divide and defines whether migrants are permanent or temporary and in turn the urban amenities available to them.

Migrant access to urban housing

Migrant residential mobility rate  Migrants continue to be on the move in the city. With substantially higher mobility rates than local residents, they experience more residential instability.  Mobility rates change steadily by duration of residence. As migrants stay longer in the city, their average annual mobility rates decline significantly.

Determinants of mobility rate  High rates of mobility for migrants are likely the result of housing tenure choices as renters in general are more mobile than owners (although not empirically tested).  Migrants with current employment tend to experience a lower level of mobility. This implies that residential move decisions may be linked with job-related events.  Migrants with rural hukou experience a much higher level of mobility than their urban counterparts, and married migrants with family in the city tend to move less.

Tenure patterns of mobility  Majority of migrants appear to be trapped in two dominant housing types in spite of high mobility rates. These are renting private housing and living in dorm or workshed.  Few migrants make the transition from renters to owners after years in the city. Main explanation lies with local controls on migrant settlement, which force people into more of a bridgeheader existence than they otherwise prefer.  Over time, migrants appear to gravitate towards private rental. This is particularly true for those who at one point rented public housing, as between 36 and 40 percent of them have made the switch.

Overcoming housing barriers  The complete absence of a formal housing market available to migrants leaves them heavily reliant on their social networks for information. This situation also requires the development of an informal housing market to fill the gap.