China has proposed changes to its household registration system, with authorities urging more cities to abolish restrictions that have affected migrant workers for decades, according to state media reports on Friday.
The permanent residence system, commonly known as “hukou”, was introduced in the 1950s to regulate population movement and categorises citizens as either urban or rural residents.
Under the system, many Chinese citizens can only access public services such as healthcare and education in the location where they are officially registered, usually their place of birth, despite millions working and living in other cities.
State Council pushes for fairer access
China’s cabinet, the State Council, issued new guidelines calling on cities to provide citizens with fairer access to public services regardless of residency status, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
The guidelines stated that restrictions linked to migrant workers’ participation in employee social insurance schemes should be completely removed.
Authorities also called for stronger access to basic medical coverage for migrants in their current place of residence.
In addition, the proposal highlighted the need to improve educational support for migrant children, including increasing the number attending public schools during the compulsory education stage.
The State Council said equal access to basic public services for both registered and non-registered permanent residents would help meet growing public expectations for a better quality of life while also supporting domestic demand.
Reforms aligned with national development plan
Ying Zhang from the Economist Intelligence Unit said the proposals reflected the direction outlined in China’s recently released Fifteenth Five-Year Plan, which serves as the country’s economic and social development blueprint for the next five years.
According to Zhang, the latest measures were not unexpected but remained encouraging given current economic and demographic conditions.
Experts noted that several smaller Chinese cities have already introduced similar reforms in recent years as part of efforts to attract more residents and workers.
Focus shifts to major cities
Observers said the key challenge now lies in whether major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai will adopt similar measures.
Large urban centres have traditionally maintained stricter residency controls due to pressure on public resources and high population density.
The proposed reforms are expected to draw attention as China continues balancing economic growth, labour mobility and public service demands across its urban centres.
