Participation in the New Rural Pension System (NRPS) in China: Determinants of Change Over the 2011–2013

Lei Chen
Timothy McBride, Washington University in St. Louis

Objective: The New Rural Pension System (NRPS) in China achieved the universal coverage at the county level in 2012. This study is to examine the determinants influencing the change in rural Chinese adults’ participation in NRPS from 2011 to 2013. Methods: Using two waves of data (2011-2013) from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), we employed multinomial logit regressions to examine the association between changes in determinants and NRPS participation among rural Chinese adults. Results: Findings indicated that the increasing policy coverage had a significant effect on improving rural pension’s participation. Changes in geographic distribution, working status, and family support also had significant influences on change in rural pension’s participation. Discussion: Though significant advances had been made in coverage, the adequacy of NRPS subsidy is still a problem, which is related to the continuing complexity and sustainability of the rural pension system when facing rapid aging in China.

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 Presented in Session 6. Health & Mortality & Aging