An Empirical Study of Household Educational Expenditure Burden in Urban China

The educational expenditure and its burden on the family is a very important topic.The overburden will lead to less consumption and savings by families,hence impede the transition of China from an investment-driven to consumption-driven economy.Using data from the Urban Household Education survey in 2007,our empirical study obtains the following findings: first,low-income families bear a greater burden due to educational expense.Second,the educational expenditure burden was heavier for families with a child in a kindergarten or high school which is not in the 9-year compulsory education.Third,the household educational expenditure burden varies by regions.Based on these findings,we propose policy suggestions.