The status of rural children left-behind in China: 2010–2020

Abstract This paper uses the 2010 and 2020 Population Census micro-data to analyze relevant characteristics and trends over the decade. The analysis includes the following aspects: population size of rural children left-behind, their age structure and sex composition, regional distribution, living arrangements, and educational development. The findings show that the population size of rural children left-behind remained large, and the likelihood of children being left-behind was closely related to age, with no significant difference by sex. An increasing proportion of rural children left-behind were cared for by grandparents as more mothers migrated between 2010 and 2020. Rural children left-behind no longer had an advantage in educational opportunities compared with average rural children. Over-age attendance was more prevalent among rural children left-behind than all rural children. Continuous attention should be paid to the issue of rural children left-behind and efforts should be made to address its root causes.