Spatial Analysis of the Gender Pay Gap in China: Asymmetries as a Consequence of Development

Spatial Analysis of the Gender Pay Gap in China: Asymmetries as a Consequence of Development

Using data from the Chinese Household Income Project and the China Family Panel Studies, this study shows the geographical characteristics of the gender pay gap in China and further underlines the relationship between the increasing gap observed between men’s and women’s wages and patterns of regional socioeconomic development. It contributes to the field by using a socioeconomic clustering of regions, which improves on the classical and simple geographical approach and analyzes the impact on the gender pay gap in each cluster. The spatiotemporal analysis from 1995 to 2018 shows that China"s gender pay gap depends on development levels. It increases with province size, in terms of GDP and population, and the higher the foreign exchange earnings from international tourism, the smaller the gap.

Using data from the Chinese Household Income Project and the China Family Panel Studies, this study shows the geographical characteristics of the gender pay gap in China and further underlines the relationship between the increasing gap observed between men’s and women’s wages and patterns of regional socioeconomic development. It contributes to the field by using a socioeconomic clustering of regions, which improves on the classical and simple geographical approach and analyzes the impact on the gender pay gap in each cluster. The spatiotemporal analysis from 1995 to 2018 shows that China"s gender pay gap depends on development levels. It increases with province size, in terms of GDP and population, and the higher the foreign exchange earnings from international tourism, the smaller the gap.