Recent Migration in China: Patterns, Trends, and Policies

This article presents an overview of internal migration in the reform era in China. The important role of the household registration system and government policies in shaping migration patterns is highlighted. Based on differentiating hukou and non-hukou migrations, the article assesses labor mobility in China and trends at various geographic scales in the last two decades, as well as the socioeconomic characteristics and geography of the hukou and non-hukou migrants. A particular focus is rural migrant labor and rural-urban migration, which are explored in terms of their implications for China’s development and policies in the years to come.