Income Stractare and Income Disparity of Inter-provincial Rural Households in China

Based on the calculation of Gini coefficient,the article drew the conclusion that the income disparity among the provinces of rural households in China was increasing: the coefficient increased from 0.095 in 1981 to 0.181 in 2003.Until recent years,the income disparity began to narrow slightly.From the perspective of income structure,the article studied the causes of inter-provincial rural households' income disparity.Firstly,we used data of a longer period from 1983 to 2008 to analyze rural households' income structure changes,finding that the rural households' farm income was decreasing and the non-farm income was increasing in all rural areas of China from the general perspective.Then,utilizing the method of Gini coefficient decomposition by sources of income,we empirically analyzed the causes of income inequality,and found that income from wages and salaries was inequality-increasing,and was the most important factor to widen income disparity among inter-provincial rural households;income from household operations was inequality-decreasing;income from properties and transfers were of high degree of inequality,but because of its low proportion in total income,so it slightly affected the total income inequality.Finally,the article proposes some policy implications to narrow the income disparity of inter-provincial rural households.