Poverty, Vulnerability, and Fiscal Sustainability in the People’s Republic of China

Book excerpt: The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has a long and successful record of poverty reduction. As incomes rise, the PRC’s new poverty reduction strategy needs to treat poverty as multidimensional, reinvigorate rural development, develop an integrated rural–urban poverty strategy, and include the vulnerable segments of the population in poverty policy. This report delves into the questions: how much fiscal support is needed to finance social services and protection, and how much should be shouldered by individuals and households? It focuses on vulnerable groups, particularly the elderly, young children of rural migrants, and those whose access to health care is jeopardized by urbanization and aging.