Together but Unequal

This article provides a renewed understanding of migrants’ citizenship rights in urban China. Specifically, we look at how migrants fare in attaining homeownership and social benefits, in comparison with local residents. We also explore how migrant outcomes relate to both individual socioeconomic and institutional factors. The results are primarily based on the 2005 One Percent Population Survey in two of China’s largest cities—Beijing and Shanghai. Migrants have experienced improvement in homeownership and housing conditions, but there is marked heterogeneity in rights attainment among migrants, particularly by type of origin (urban vs. rural). Making the most gains are those from urban origins and with better education. Market-related factors, such as education, are increasingly important predictors of migrant outcomes in the cities.