The Potential Causal Effect of Hukou on Health Among Rural-to-Urban Migrants in China

A number of economic studies have shown a strong positive correlation between urban household registration status (hukou) and better health outcomes in China. The question at the center is whether the correlation implies causation. Change in the hukou system, in 1964, is used to test the causality between hukou and health. The regression-discontinuity (RD) design estimates suggest that urban hukou citizens have a much better chance of being in good health. The deleterious effects of rural hukou on health possibly work through mechanisms of income disparity, variations in educational attainment, and availability of health insurance.