With 867 Chengzhongcun in Beijing, migrant workers play an important role in the urban city, occupying a total of 181 square km. A recent UCLA study from 2008 selected 50 cities from these Chengzhongcun and then 15-20 people in different geographical reigions from each chengzhongcun. This 756 completed surveys as well as several interview from different officials, show migrants vastly outnumber natives. Only 47.6% of migrants in these Chengzhongcun graduated from High school, the average of their wages are 1,984 Yuan compared to Beijing’s native 3,876 Yuan with nearly 75% working in China’s tertiary sector. Forced to live in tiny housing, these migrants on average occupy 13.2 square meters of living space whereas the average living space in Beijing is 80 Square meters. With these compact living spaces 90% of migrants in these Chengzhongcun don’t have bathrooms or kitchens, 86% don’t have heating, and 93.3% don’t have aircondioning. Although refridgerators are more essential than television, 50% more own televsions. Though living in these Chengzhongcuns, the average cost per meter of living space has around the same cost as one living in rural Beijing. Without hope for future progressions through living values, how can migrant workers hope to gain a better future?
Zheng, Siqi, Fenjie Long, C. Cindy Fan, and Yizhen Gu. "Urban Villages in China: A 2008 Survey of Migrant Settlements in Beijing." Eurasian Geography and Economics 50.4 (2009): 425-46. Print.
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