Child well-being and cross-regional differences in China: a spatial autocorrelation analysis

In the context of constructing an inclusive child welfare system, narrowing regional disparities in welfare provision and ensuring equal access to public services for every child are central to the state agenda. Using statistical data from 31 provinces, this study measures child welfare levels using the entropy-weighted Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution method and explores the spatial correlations in welfare provision capacity across provinces. It also evaluates welfare outcomes using Global Moran’s I and spatial clustering methods. The study reveals the effect of polarisation among the selected indicators, particularly in relation to material well-being, education and the social environment. The results demonstrate significant positive spatial autocorrelation but only a low-level of spatial agglomeration across provinces, indicating the overall pattern of child welfare provision. Through this comparative research, the study provides a rational basis of analysing child welfare through differentiated policy strengths of local social administration.