Leisure Life in Later Years: Differences between Rural and Urban Elderly Residents in China

This study was undertaken in view of the large and growing numbers of older adults in the People's Republic of China. We examined the differences in the leisure life between rural and urban elderly residents. Significant rural-urban differences were found in the pattern of leisure involvement and general perceptions about leisure life of aged people. The underlying social and economic reasons that may account for such differences, from the Household Registration System (HRS) and the massive rural-to-urban migration to the large-scale privatization in China's economic reform are discussed extensively. Implications for future research and China's elderly-population-related policies are also provided.