Living Arrangements of the Elderly in China: Evidence from the CHARLS National Baseline

Declining fertility in China has raised concerns about elderly support, especially when public support is inadequate. Using rich information from the nationally representative China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) baseline survey fielded in 2011-12, we find that roughly 43% of Chinese aged 60 and over live with a child; living with a male child being strongly preferred. However another 31% have a child living in the same neighborhood and 13% in the same county; only 5% have the nearest child living outside the same county as the parent and another 8% have no living children. Single elderly men and women living in urban areas (mostly widows and widowers) are more likely to live with their children or have their children living nearby, as are urban elderly residents. Children with high levels of income are less likely to live with their parents or to live nearby, but if parents have higher income, one of their children is more likely to be living with them or nearby. We also find that among non-co-resident children, those living close by visit their parents more frequently and have more communications by phone, email, text messages and regular mail. On the other hand, children who live farther away are more likely to send financial and in-kind transfers and send larger amounts.