Will China’s population aging be a threat to its future consumption?

ABSTRACT

Based on the household level survey data, the paper makes a projection on China’s household consumption in 2049 with reasonable assumptions of disposable income, demographic structure, urbanization rate and total population in 2049. The results show that at annual income growth rates of 3%, 4% and 5%, China’s total household consumption in 2049 will be 71.0, 97.8 and 133.8 trillion CNY, respectively, 3.1~5.8 times of the total household consumption in 2015. Moreover, our projection shows that even excluding the income growth effect, the future consumption increased by rapid urbanization is much larger than the consumption depressed by the demographic change. The result highlights that as long as the Chinese government can successfully eliminate institutional constraints imposed on rural-urban migration, such as Hukou system or residency permits in the urban areas, population aging would not be a major threat to its future development.     

生育政策调整是否会影响我国“碳达峰”目标的实现?——基于STIRPAT和Leslie模型的实证研究

以中国人口生育政策调整为研究背景,基于STIRPAT模型和Leslie模型综合考察中国人口生育政策调整可能对实现“我国二氧化碳排放力争2030年前达到峰值”目标所带来的影响。结果表明,除了经济发展水平、能源技术水平、能源消费结构等因素外,人口年龄结构对人均碳排放也具有显著影响。在论文设置的四种生育率情景下,人口总量峰值分别出现在2025年、2027年、2031年和2027年。若生育政策调整能够有效提高社会总和生育率,人口规模和人口年龄结构的变化会使碳排放总量峰值推后出现。因此,中国逐步放宽的人口生育政策可能会给实现碳达峰目标带来一定压力。     

The two-way interaction between population aging and industrial transformation

This study examines the relationship between the labour-force age structure and industry composition in a multi-region and multi-sector framework. Relying on a panel dataset of Chinese provinces, the simultaneous equations model reveals two-way influences between age and industrial structures. Population aging induces a (an) reduced (increased) secondary-sector (tertiary-sector) employment share. The industrial structure then changes the age structure of the local labour force via the migrations of young workers as non-agricultural sectors expand. With an improved Leslie model, we predict a province-level population aging and industry structure trend. Accordingly, municipalities, developed coastal provinces and the three northeastern provinces face greater pressure from population aging and a rapid structural, industrial transformation. Further considerations of the ‘two-child policy’ via simulation results show that relaxed birth restrictions could slow population aging in some but not all these provinces.     

Demographic change and long‐term growth in China: Past developments and the future challenge of aging

This paper explores the influence of demographic changes, particularly the sharp decline in fertility and the evolution of the population age structure, on economic development in China. A general equilibrium overlapping generations model with endogenous decisions on fertility, educational investment, and factor accumulation is employed for our analysis. The family support provided by children to the elderly, which is a component of traditional culture in Chinese society, is also considered. We find that technological changes matter most for growth. Demographic changes, on average, account for approximately 4% of the growth in China, while the effect is negative in the pre‐1980 period. With an extension to include population aging, we find that aging is not necessarily adverse to growth. This finding reflects the fact that a longer life expectancy requires more savings and makes educational investment in children more attractive, which accelerates physical capital and human capital accumulation. However, if the social norm of family support for aging parents is strict, aging will significantly increase the children's burden and crowd out physical and human capital accumulation.     

Children's Migration Decisions and Elderly Support in China: Evidences from CHARLS Pilot Data

The purpose of this paper is to explain the determinants of migration in China with special concern for elderly support based on evidences from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) pilot data. We find parents’ needs for care significantly affect adult children’s participation in migrant labor market. Joint family decisions have also been made among adult siblings as far as elderly support is concerned. Different patterns of migrant labor force participation in Zhejiang and Gansu provinces largely reflect the differences between their respective migrant labor markets. Understanding of these new patterns of China’s internal migration helps policy makers in China and other developing counties formulate effective social policies, and consequently, a more appropriate urbanization path.     

中国农业碳生产率变化的驱动因素与区域差异研究

利用产出距离函数将农业碳生产率变化分解为技术效率、技术进步和要素替代变化,并实证测算1995—2016年中国农业碳生产率的变化及其驱动因素,结果表明:(1)研究期中国农业碳生产率年均提高3.57%,单位GDP碳排放量年均下降3.31%,累计下降50.96%,主要归因于技术进步和要素替代效应。(2)中国农业资本深化对农业碳生产率提升有正向影响,劳动力价格上涨有负向影响。(3)中国农业碳生产率表现出“东高西低,阶梯分布”的空间特征,东南沿海省份和西北省份存在区域“农业碳生产率缺口”,且呈缺口扩大趋势。鉴于此,为提高农业碳生产率提出政策建议。     

农村劳动力流动的过去、现在和未来

回顾新中国成立以来农村劳动力流动的历史,世界上还没有哪个国家像中国一样,在推进现代化过程中,伴随如此大规模人口的迁移,并且在今后很长一段时间还将继续保持,并指出农村劳动力流动对中国的经济崛起发挥了重要作用。而当前农村劳动力转移也在发生变化,这是基于中国的政策变迁、地方政府行为和劳动者自身行为的变化所导致的。未来中国的城市化和工业化能否深度推进,农村劳动力流动起着重要作用。适时调整政策以适应农村劳动力流动的变迁将是对中国政府新的考验,如果成功,将走出中国独特的农村劳动力迁移道路。     

基于广义虚拟经济视角下的中国居民消费与房价关系研究

根据居民消费理论,一般而言财富增加会促进消费,国外大量经验研究已证实了房价对消费存在正向的作用。但对于中国而言,房价上涨(财富增加)似乎并没有带动消费的增加?这是什么原因呢?我们认为房价上涨不仅有财富效应,也有与之相对应的替代效应(或称为挤出效应),这是因为短期内房价上涨使得人们购房支出增加而挤出日常消费。另一方面,基于广义虚拟经济视角的消费者心理分析也能更好地解释这一现象。本文利用1999-2010年我国的省际面板数据进行估计后发现,在我国,房价上涨会对消费的变动产生显著的负影响。对此,本文认为,这主要是由于替代效应造成的,同时中国以家庭为观念的社会结构也使得人们宁愿挤出日常消费也要承受"房奴"的生活。     

Population–Environment Interactions: European Migration, Population Composition and Climate Change

The paper addresses the collision of two twenty-first Century transitions—the unprecedented change in the size, composition, density and distribution of the human population, and rapid change in the earth’s natural environment, in part a response to the above. It argues that it is important to consider these aspects of population change and environment together in order to understand the reality of any mitigation that may be made. Following a review of research which is beginning to address not only the environmental impact of population growth, but also of changes in density, distribution and composition, the paper turns to explore the interaction of population composition and density with environmental change through addressing interactions between migration, ageing populations and climate change. It considers a key population question facing the EU, that of the demographic deficit, and addresses how the mitigating role of migration will be affected by future climate change. It thus considers whether migration is a valid policy approach in the context of Europe’s demographic deficit and the impact of climate change on this relationship.     

Long-term Forecast of the Demographic Transition in Japan and Asia

The demographic structure of Asia is expected to change rapidly from around 2020 up to around 2050. Following Japan, which is already at an advanced stage of aging and birthrate decline, China, South Korea, Thailand, and Singapore will also witness a further decline in their birthrates and an aging of their populations. Next in line will be the remaining countries of the Association of South-East Asian Nations as well as India. Such changes, accompanied by a decline in the labor force, will not only adversely affect economic growth, but also have a major impact on voting structures, savings rates, and social security systems. Moreover, the process of demographic aging in Asia will be faster than in Japan, and its extent will be substantial, both of which exacerbates the negative effects. On positive side, these trends will give rise to the emergence of new markets.     

Openness,growth convergence and China’s development prospects

ABSTRACT

This paper examines China’s long-term growth prospects and the potential drivers of future growth, based on cross-country productivity convergence and China’s featured demographic evolution. In a nonlinear open economy catch-up growth model, per capital GDP growth of the followers depend on that of the leading economy and time varying convergence of the relative per capita GDP. Comparable open economies of China are identified in terms of relative per capita GDP and the historical data of which are used to project China’s trajectory of productivity convergence and then the growth of per capita GDP. Projection shows China’s future GDP growth will gradually descend from 6.6–6.7% (2016–2020) to 2.6–2.7% (2046–2050) in low variant. Predictions under medium and high variants are provided as well. The importance of further opening-up domestic markets, elimination of birth control policies and accumulation of human capital in the process of promoting urbanization are highlighted and have significant implications for the economic restructuring and transformation of China.

Abbreviations: ICRG: International Country Risk Guide; IMF: International Monetary Fund     

我国不同省份通婚圈概况及其历史变化——将人口学引入通婚圈的研究

在总结人类学和社会学有关通婚圈（通婚距离）研究的基础上,本文对通婚圈的概念和通婚圈研究的意义进行辨析,对造成通婚圈研究分歧的症结进行分析,并利用人口数据对我国不同省份的通婚圈大小及其变化情况进行估计。有利于我们更好地把握择偶和婚姻家庭问题。     

中国省区TFP测算及影响因素分析

本文依据1998 -2007年中国28个省区的相关数据,采用修正索洛模型和随机前沿模型测算了中国省区历年的全要素生产率水平和增长率,并利用静态和动态面板数据模型检验了R&D、人力资本、进口、出口以及外商直接投资对我国省区全要素生产率的影响.结果显示,我国省区全要素生产率水平总体呈上升趋势,而增长率则趋于下降,并且地区差距明显.地区间R&D、出口、人力资本对我国省区全要素生产率水平的提高具有显著的正向作用,而外商直接投资和进口的正向作用并不明显;出口对中国省区全要素生产率增长率的提高有明显促进作用,而进口则对其具有明显的阻碍作用,R&D、人力资本及外商直接投资对全要素生产率增长率的提高虽有促进作用,但它们在静态和动态面板数据模型中的显著性则有所差异;另外,研究还发现,中国省区全要素生产率具有显著的“滞后效应”.     

外部经济环境与中国出口关系的实证研究——基于面板数据的协整与误差修正模型的检验

我国逐步融入到了经济全球化的进程,尤其是2001年加入世界贸易组织之后,由于我国享受其他世贸组织成员开放或扩大货物、服务市场准入的利益,我国出口发展的步伐更是进一步加快.我国出口增长非常迅速,但我国的出口增长并不稳定.外部经济环境的变化会影响外部需求,外部需求的变化进而会影响我国出口贸易的发展.2008年美国爆发的金融危机导致全球经济萧条,恶化的外部经济环境对我国的出口产生了明显的冲击.本文采用1996-2007年的面板数据对外国经济发展与中国出口的关系进行了协整与误差修正模型的检验.结果表明,无论是在长期还是在短期,中国出口增长都能明显地改善外部经济环境,外部经济环境的改善也能明显地促进我国出口的增长,因此,外部经济环境的变化会影响我国出口稳定增长.     

住房保障与财富效应逆转——基于平滑转换回归方法的实证分析

本文采取非线性的平滑转换回归方法,对我国保障房供给影响财富效应的程度进行了研究,结果表明:保障房的供给会使得房地产价格的财富效应发生V型逆转,即当保障房供给处于低水平阶段时,房地产价格的财富效应为负向,房价上涨会抑制消费增加;当保障房供给处于高水平阶段时,房地产价格具有正向的财富效应,房价上涨促进消费增加。这说明存在一个保障房供给的最低门槛,只有跨越这个门槛,才能有利于发挥房地产价格的财富效应,进而促进消费。从对全国各省份的数据分析发现,西部地区的大部分省份已经跨越了保障房供给的最低门槛,而东部地区较多的省份,连续几年都低于这个门槛值。因此,应积极建立健全保障性安居工程的融资机制,合理协调好保障房与商品房用地之间的关系,进而促进消费。     

地方政府竞争、投资冲动和我国宏观经济波动研究

利用国民收入核算公式,采用HP滤波分析方法,得到国民收入恒等式中各变量增长率的波动项,并依此构建了一个计量模型。然后利用各变量在1990-2004年间的分省数据,分析了各省GDP增长率波动的原因。结论表明,在我国的大多数省,投资增长率的波动是引起GDP增长率波动的主要因素。为剔除地域差异的影响,做了分区域的实证分析,其结果依然显示投资波动是各省GDP增长率波动的主要决定因素。进一步的分析表明,地方政府竞争是导致各省投资冲动、进而造成我国宏观经济波动的深层原因。     

旅游经济增长因素的空间计量研究

文章在文献分析的基础上,构建了旅游经济增长影响因素的空间计量模型,并运用2000—2009年大陆31个省、市、自治区的数据进行实证研究。结果表明：在考虑空间效应的影响下,我国旅游经济增长具有空间依赖性,其中2000—2008年出现正的空间溢出效应,2009年出现负的空间溢出效应;旅游业发达省份旅游经济增长速度低于欠发达省份,低增长和高增长省份在空间上聚集。旅游接待设施数量的增加、居民消费水平的提高对旅游经济增长具有显著的促进作用;旅游景区数量的增长对旅游经济的增长作用不显著;而交通里程的增长对旅游经济的增长具有反向作用。     

广东省流动人口的特征及其变化

利用人口普查数据,描述了广东省流动人口的规模、结构、分布、迁移、社会经济等方面的特征及变化。广东省流动人口规模巨大,性别比升高且在各年龄组呈现均衡化趋势,年龄结构老龄化,受教育水平明显提高,地区及区域分布存在较大差异,来源地以外省为主且主要集中于临近的中西部省份,居留时间呈现两极分化且以经济目的为首要迁移原因;同时,流动人口的就业率较高,行、职业分布与户籍人口具有一定的互补性。流动人口的特征及其变化对广东省的社会、经济及人口发展提出了挑战。     

对中国经济发展阶段的探讨——从刘易斯曲线、人口红利、库兹涅茨曲线角度出发

学术界对于中国经济发展阶段是否已经迎来刘易斯拐点,以及中国人口红利拐点何时到来的讨论存在较多的争议.本文从二元经济视角、人口转变视角、收入分配视角分析了刘易斯拐点、人口红利拐点、库兹涅茨转折点之间的关系,由此对中国的经济发展阶段进行了探讨.通过对农村剩余劳动力数量是否存在大幅度下降及农业工资率是否存在大幅度上升的分析,本文认为中国经济并未进入刘易斯拐点;虽然中国面临人口红利的结束,人口转变优于经济发展,但并不意味着中国劳动力的短缺;只要我国实现从人口大国向人力资本强国转变,就会抵消人口红利拐点到来的负面影响.文章最后对中国是否存在陷入“中等收入陷阱”的可能性进行了讨论     

The tale of two international phenomena: Migration and global imbalances

Following the dynamics of globalization, international migration has increased dramatically since the 1990s. Since migration patterns affect a country’s demographic structure—which is known to have an impact on the current account—migration is likely to explain a significant part of world imbalances. This paper tackles this issue by investigating the role played by international migration in the dynamics of global imbalances. To this end, we rely on an overlapping generations model to derive the theoretical link between international migration and the current account position. Through a series of robust estimates, we empirically investigate this relationship by relying on a large panel of developed and developing countries. Our results point to substantial effects of international migration. Specifically, we show that an increase in migration augments national savings and tends to restore the current account balance in the destination country, while it has opposite impacts in the origin country. These effects are particularly pronounced in developing economies and are attenuated by migrants’ remittances.