Data in China

Below are links to micro survey data sets useful for research in China: from labor supply, education, and health, to family dynamics, aging, household finance, et cetera.

CFPS (China Family Panel Studies): It is usually regarded as the Chinese version of PSID. As an ongoing biennial survey starting from 2010, it contains comprehensive variables of demographics, work, health, financial conditions, and attitudes at individual, family, and community levels. 

CHARLS ( China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study): It is a high-quality panel data on health, social-economic status, job and retirement, and family network, with a particular focus on aging individuals at least 45 years old. This biennial survey started in 2011 and with a Life History Survey in 2014.

CHFS (China Household Finance Survey): This survey collects longitudinal data on micro-level data on household income, expenses, assets, liabilities, insurance and securities, population, and employment. Currently available waves are 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021.

CGSS (Chinese General Social Survey): This nationally representative survey traces changes in the relationship between social structure and quality of life in rural and urban China, since 2003. Note that it is a repeated cross-sectional survey.

CLDS (China Labor-force Dynamic Survey): This is the first longitudinal data that targets labor force dynamics in China, starting from 2012 and taking place every two years.

CHNS (China Health and Nutrition Survey): This is the most extended panel data available in China with a particular focus on the health and nutrition of individuals. It started in the year 1989, and the newest wave in 2015 is published for research.

CLHLS (Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity survey): This is a longitudinal survey paying particular attention to the oldest-old individuals. It contains healthy, social-economic status, and family information. Currently, available data covers the period between 1998 and 2014.

CHIP (Chinese Household Income Project): This project is aiming at providing a measure of individual income distribution in China. It collects comprehensive income and expenditure information.

CEPS (China Education Panel Study): This survey focuses on the students who were the 7th and 9th graders in the 2013-2014 academic year in the baseline wave, and the follow-up data were collected in the 2014-2015 academic year. This project contains 5 different questionnaires to the sample students, parents, homeroom teachers, main subject teachers who are not the homeroom teacher, and school administrators. 

Population Census data: Researchers can apply online from Tsinghua China Data Center or China Data Institute (previously known as China Data Center at the University of Michigan).

NTUS (National Time Use Study, 2008): This is a national representative time use survey. All household members aged from 15 to 74 are asked to document a 24-hour diary.