The Impact of Land System on Urban Migration

This paper examines how China’s dual land system influences rural-to-urban migration through market and government mechanisms. The study finds that active land rental markets promote migration by freeing up economic resources. In contrast, government-led land expropriation tends to discourage migration due to inadequate compensation and institutional barriers, as indicated by the CHARLS data and Probit/Logit models. Key demographic factors—such as income, age, and gender—also play significant roles. These findings highlight the critical impact of land reform policies on urbanization and economic restructuring in China.