The Impact of Children's Enrollment Restrictions on Household Consumption: Evidence from the Migrant Population

Jianfeng Xie MeiYi Guo ^* Chengyu Li

• Liaoning Technical University, Fuxin, Liaoning Province, China

This study, based on China's micro-level consumption data, explores the impact mechanism and economic effects of school enrollment restrictions derived from the household registration system on the consumption behavior of migrant families. Against the backdrop of intensified globalization and increasing population mobility, enrollment restrictions on the children of migrant populationsarising from factors such as migrant status, policies, or resource allocation-have become a critical issue at the regional level. The impact of education policies on enrollment restrictions for migrant children and household consumption willingness remains a subject of debate in the academic community. This study utilizes the 2014-2017 household microdata of the migrant population and constructs an index of enrollment barriers for migrant children based on policy documents of each city. By building a microeconometric model, the study estimates and examines the economic effects of education policies for migrant children on household consumption levels. The results indicate that a decline in the school enrollment threshold can significantly improve the household consumption of migrant and have passed several robustness tests and endogeneity tests. At the same time, the impact of the schooling threshold for migrant children on household consumption is more profound among migrant households with characteristics such as only child, intra-provincial mobility, and willingness to settle down. The conclusion of this paper indicates that regional educational equity can effectively promote the consumption willingness of the migrant population and socioeconomic inclusivity, providing important policy recommendations for safeguarding and supporting the well-being of migrant families.