By Zhao Junchao, Research Department of Rural Economy, DRC; Sun Wenkai, Renmin University of China

Research Report, No.181, 2020 (Total 5925) 2020-7-15

Abstract: With the advancement of China’s household registration reform in recent years, major breakthroughs have been made in the exploration of household registration reform in some big- and mega-cities, and some valuable references are gained for further reform. The pilot practices reveal the following facts. 1. The issue of relaxing household registrations is mainly related with the proportion of migrant populations; 2. The number of cities that have relaxed restrictions on household registration could be increased; 3. The implementation of removing restrictions on household registration should not be linked with social insurance or other preconditions; 4. If the time is not yet up for relaxing household registration in some cities, they need to bide their time. This paper has thus offered the following policy options for relaxing household registration in line with new classifications. 1. The current points-based household registration system needs to be enhanced first in cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin, and then take measures to relax household registration step by step in light of conditions; 2. In some border areas and ethnic minority areas, work needs to be done to carry out a differentiated household registration policy in line with the overall progress of the national household registration system reform and their local conditions; 3. Most cities and areas apart from the ones mentioned-above need to remove all of the thresholds on household registration regardless of the differences of their locations, population sizes or administrative levels.

Keywords: household registration reform, advancement in a classified manner, relax restrictions on household registration