Family Patterns of the Floating Population in China: The Case of Beijing

Over the past 20 years, China’s migration transition has been moving from a stage of individual migration to a stage of family migration. Using data from 2006 One-per-Thousand Floating Population Survey in Beijing, this paper examines family and residential patterns of the migrants in Beijing and the determinants of family migration. In 2006, the percentage of family migration among total migration stood at 60%, more than double that reported in a survey 10 years ago. Family patterns are dominated by households consisting of one married couple and one married couple plus children. Three-fourths of the married migrants are living with their spouse, while slightly more than half of the migrants who have children are living with their children. The mean size of migrant households is 2 persons and the mean size of married migrant households is 2.3 persons, which is considerably lower than the average household size (3.4 persons) of the general rural population in China. Individual characteristics and the district of Beijing where the migrant lives significantly affect the likelihood of family migration. One important finding is that non-economic factors, such as for better children’s education, have become a more important driving force in family migration.