The China Household Finance Survey (CHFS), conducted by the China Household Finance Survey and Research Center (hereinafter referred to as the "Center"), is a nationwide sampling survey project designed to collect micro-level information on household finance. Its primary content includes demographic characteristics and employment, assets and liabilities, income and consumption, social security and insurance, subjective attitudes, and other related information, providing a comprehensive and detailed depiction of household economic and financial behaviors.
The CHFS baseline survey was initiated in 2011. To date, five rounds of nationwide sampling surveys have been successfully implemented in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019, with the sixth round in 2021 still ongoing. The latest publicly available data from the 2019 fifth-round survey covers 29 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government), 343 districts/counties, 1,360 villagers’ (residents’) committees, and includes 34,643 households, ensuring national and provincial representativeness.
In China, research on household finance is still in its nascent stage. The Center's work has filled the academic research gap on Chinese household finance and its current status, with significance extending beyond academia to generate extensive positive social impacts. Academically, the data released by the Center has sparked considerable interest and led to a series of research outcomes. As the database continues to develop, more researchers are expected to engage in household finance studies. Socially, the Center actively participates in researching and discussing major policy issues in China, conducting in-depth explorations in areas such as real estate market regulation, income distribution and economic transformation, urbanization, and other critical macro-policy domains.
With authorization from the China Household Finance Survey and Research Center, CnOpenData has incorporated the China Household Finance Survey Data into its public data section for researchers' access. To download the data, please visit the CHFS Data Platform.
This page is adapted from the China Household Finance Survey and Research Center.
Database Usage Guide
Repost: CHFS Data Usage Guidelines – Understanding Data Infringement
Repost: Stata: Cleaning and Processing CHFS China Household Finance Survey Data
References
Any Chinese research output based on CHFS data must include the following or similar acknowledgment: "This study utilizes data from the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS) managed by the China Household Finance Survey and Research Center at Southwestern University of Finance and Economics." Additionally, cite one or more of the following references:
- (1) Gan Li, Wu Yu, He Qing, He Xin, Yi Daichun. Research on Chinese Household Finance, 2016. Chengdu: Southwestern University of Finance and Economics Press, 2019.
- (2) Gan Li, Yin Zhichao, Tan Jijun. China Household Finance Survey Report, 2014. Chengdu: Southwestern University of Finance and Economics Press, 2015.
- (3) Gan Li, Yin Zhichao, Jia Nan, Xu Shu, Ma Shuang. China Household Finance Survey Report, 2012. Chengdu: Southwestern University of Finance and Economics Press, 2012.
- (4) Gan Li, Yin Zhichao, Jia Nan, Xu Shu, Ma Shuang. "Analysis of Chinese Household Asset Status and Housing Demand," Journal of Financial Research, 2013 (04): 1-14.
Data Update Frequency
Updated irregularly