城乡居民教育收益率的差距——一个分阶段的考察

Urban-Rural Differences in Rates of Return to Education: A Phased Study

Education plays an important role in personal income distribution. Using the microeconomic survey data of 2011 China Household Health and Nutrition Survey database， this paper estimates the rates of return to education in urban and rural areas based on Mincer Income Model， and compares the differences in overall rates of return to education and in rates of return to education at different educational stages between urban and rural areas. Key findings are summarized as follows: In general， rates of return to education in urban areas are 4.2% higher than in rural areas. At different educational stages， rates of return to education in urban areas are higher than in rural areas. Whether in urban or rural areas， rates of return to education display an ascending trend with the advancement of educational level. In other words， rates of return to education at college level or above tend to be higher than at the levels of junior high school， high school or vocational school. On the basis of the empirical conclusions， the paper puts forward several suggestions， including increasing educational investment in rural and depressed areas and for low-income groups.