Re-Examine: The Power of China’s New Rural Pension Scheme

Abstract

Drawing upon data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) and the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), this paper employs a Difference in Differences (DID) approach to investigate the varying impacts of the New Rural Pension Scheme (NRPS) across different regions in China. The empirical results reveal that the NRPS has generally improved the health outcomes of residents. Notably, the benefits of the NRPS are more pronounced in rural and economically advanced areas, while its effects are not statistically significant in less developed and urban regions. This analysis elucidates the underlying reasons for these regional disparities, attesting to the pension policy’s efficacy and advancing the scholarly conversation on pension policy research.