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1、中国城市的人口和消费结构调查外文翻译 外文题目:Demographics and Consumption Patterns in Urban China 出 处:Population Research and Policy Review,2010,no.29作 者:Farhat Yusuf Gordon Brook Demographics and Consumption Patterns in Urban China Farhat Yusuf Gordon Brook Abstract:This study examines differences among urban Chinese c
2、onsumers and their consumption patterns in three major cities?Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin?utilising data from a nationally representative sample survey conducted in 2005. Differences were found in these consumers age distribution, education level, household composition, birth and death rates, inco
3、me, expenditure patterns and consumer durable ownership rates. Beijing and Shanghai, the two most affluent cities in China, exhibited the highest consumer durable ownership rates and the highest cost of living. While previous research has frequently segmented China in terms of a rural versus urban d
4、ichotomy or by geographic region, this study suggests that the urban Chinese do not constitute a homogeneous market. Further, it is suggested that both geographic region and income, which varies between rural and urban settings, are sound bases for segmenting this important market Introduction The i
5、ncreasing prominence of China on the world stage is evident in many areas. In October 2003 they became only the third country to achieve manned space flight. August 2008 saw Beijing host the summer Olympic Games. Economically, China is one of the largest and fastest growing consumer markets in the w
6、orld. For example, its domestic market for consumer electronics video, audio and game console products and personal computers is expected to be worth US$50 billion in 2011, having grown by 20% in the 3 years since 2008 Datamonitor 2007a, b. With regard to structure, the Chinese economy is rapidly be
7、coming a market economy. In contrast to earlier communist periods, however, there is currently increasing inequality with regard to income distribution in China see e.g.: Fang et al. 2002; Khan and Riskin 2001; Meng et al. 2005. In 2003, the per capita income averaged RMB2,622 for people living in r
8、ural areas and RMB8,472 for those living in urban areas China 2005. Given their greater financial power, it is understandab le that many researchers have consequently focused on the urban Chinese consumer. Such research has tended to consider urban China as a homogeneous market segment, contrasting
9、it with rural China see e.g.: Cui and Liu 2000; Sun and Wu 2004; McEwan et al. 2006. Other researchers have examined the overall utility of urban versus rural segmentation Yusuf et al. 2008 or particular products in the urban China market segment Dickson et al. 2004. Pursuing a different paradigm, S
10、wanson 1989 and Cui and Liu 2000 examined geographic segmentation of China, not differentiating between urban and rural consumers in each geographic segment, to investigate regional differences. While these authors have examined the differences between regions, and the differences between urban and
11、rural consumers, no research was found directly examining differences between the urban Chinese consumers of different regions. This study is an attempt to fill this gap. To address this research question, two objectives were formulated. First, to identify the consumption patterns of households in u
12、rban China as a whole, and three of its most important urban areas?the cities of Shanghai, Beijing and TianjinShanghai is Chinas commercial and financial hub, its largest city and the locale with the highest GDP per capita. Beijing, being the capital, is the center of administration, culture and eco
13、nomic management. Tianjin is a typical city on the East coast of China, and historically it was one of the first cities opened to the West. It is located about 100 km south east of Beijing and about 1,000 km roughly north of Shanghai. The second objective of this paper is to consider the importance
14、of geographic region as a basis for differentiating urban Chinese consumers through an examination of data for these three cities.Consumption Patterns Table 1 compares the per capita expenditure in each of the three cities with that in urban China. It is evident from the table that the overall cost
15、of living in the three cities was much higher than the national average; it was most expensive to live in Shanghai, followed by Beijing, and Tianjin was least expensive?though it was still 21% costlier than urban China as a wholeOf the 14 items listed in Table 4, there were 11 items in Shanghai, 10
16、in Beijing and only 2 in Tianjin where the expenditure exceeded the national average by 60% or more. In Beijing tobacco was the only item on which expenditure was less than the national average, while in Tianjin expenditure on clothing was much lower but that on tobacco and communications was simila
17、r to the national figureGiven that the cost of living in the three cities was significantly higher than the national average for urban China, Table 5 compares the proportionate distribution of the total expenditure into various item categories. Data for the total urban households in China are given
18、for comparison purposes. Table1 Relative per capita expenditure on broad item categories in Shanghai, Beijing and Tianjin regions compared to urban China, 2005. It appears that apart from those living in Beijing who spent relatively less on food, the other two cities were very close to the national
19、average for urban China. A larger proportion of the food budget was spent on dining out in Shanghai but even in Beijing and Tianjin this proportion was higher than the urban national averageExpenditure on liquor and beverages in these two cities was higher than in Shanghai, but their expenditure on
20、tobacco was lower. On the other hand, while the proportion of expenditure on clothing was lower in each of the three cities, the proportion spent on household facilities and services was about the same, compared to the national average for urban China. Relatively larger proportions of the household
21、budget were spent on medicines and medical services in Beijing and Tianjin, but less was spent in Shanghai. Expenditure on transport and communications, as a proportion of the total expenditure, was highest in Beijing, followed by Shanghai, but in Tianjin it was even lower than the national average.
22、 A similar situation was noted in the case of the combined expenditure on education, cultural and recreational activities in the three cities. Although households in Tianjin spent the highest proportion of their budget on housing and those in Beijing the lowest, in absolute RMB terms this was not th
23、e case. The average expenditure on housing in the three cities was RMB 667, 456 and 562 for Shanghai, Beijing and Tianjin, respectively, compared to RMB249 for the whole of China. Expenditure on utilities was lowest in Beijing and highest in Tianjin. Apart from the possibility that there may be some
24、 extra subsidisation in utility bills in Beijing there seems to be no apparent reason for this differential. It may be noted that the two cities are only 100 km apart and thus climatic differences are unlikely to explain the observed differential. Table2 Proportion of households total per capita exp
25、enditure on broad item categories in urban China,Shanghai, Beijing and Tianjin regions, 2005. It appears from Table 6 that for seven of these items air conditioners, cameras, colour televisions, computers, refrigerators, and video recorders the three cities had higher ownership rates than the nation
26、al average, for one motor cycles, the three cities had lower ownership rates while for the remaining items the situation was somewhat mixed. Bicycles were still the most common mode of transport in Beijing and Tianjin but not so in Shanghai. Beijing had the highest ownership of motor cars but Tianji
27、n lagged behind the national average. Electric fans were more common in Shanghai but in Beijing and Tianjin their usage was less than the national average. It may have something to do with the climate of Shanghai. Ownership of fax machines was highest in Shanghai, but freezers were least popular the
28、re. Hi-fi stereo component systems and phones both mobile and fixed line were more popular in Shanghai and Beijing but Tianjin lagged behind the national average. The same situation was noted in the three cities with regards to the ownership of pianos, refrigerators and video disc players. The very
29、high more than one per household ownership of air conditioners, colour televisions, mobile phones, refrigerators, video disc players and washing machines but a very low rate for dishwashers is worth noting. The very low acceptance of dishwashers could well be due to cultural rather than economic rea
30、sons.Discussion Following Cui and Lius 2000 regional segmentation, Shanghai is in East China, while both Beijing and Tianjin are in North China. If the regional basis is dominant, one could reasonably expect there to be greater similarity between the consumption patterns evident in the two North Chi
31、na cities than between the South China city and either of the North China cities. Alternately, consumption is generally related to income, and may prove to be a more substantial variable than geographic region. If economic considerations are the main influence on consumption patterns, then it would
32、be reasonable to expect there to be greater similarity between the consumption patterns of Beijing and Shanghai than between those of Beijing and Tianjin. Considering the data of Table 5, it is apparent that in terms of total per capita expenditure, for four item categories transport, communications
33、, culture and recreation, and water, electricity and fuel Beijing and Shanghai are similar, and substantially different to Tianjin. This would support the importance of income as a basis for segmentation. The same similarity can be seen between the two northern cities, Beijing and Tianjin, with rega
34、rd to dining out, liquor and beverages, healthcare and medical services and education. This would support the importance of geographic region as a basis for segmentation. Two item categories, tobacco and household appliances and services, demonstrated greater similarity between Shanghai and Tianjin
35、than between Beijing and either of those cities. The remaining four item categories were not readily classified. When the data of Table 6 is considered, Beijings and Shanghais ownership of consumer durable goods is more similar for seven item categories air conditioners, cameras, computers, mobile a
36、nd fixed-line phones, pianos and refrigerators supporting the importance of income, while Beijing and Tianjins ownership rates were more similar in four consumer durable goods bicycles and motorized bicycles, electric fans and freezers supporting the importance of geographic region as a basis for se
37、gmentation. Four item categories demonstrated greater similarity between Shanghai and Tianjin cars, dishwashers, video recorders and washing machines. These findings do not allow the identification of a single definitive basis for differentiating Chinese urban consumer market segments. There are two
38、 reasons for this. Firstly, while the majority of findings suggest the importance of economic-based segmentation, there are a substantial number of findings supporting geographic region-based segmentation, and so both factors are commended. Secondly, as cities from only three regions have been consi
39、dered this does not provide sufficient evidence to suggest that regional segmentation is of no value. Such a finding would require a more comprehensive examination of the various regions than this paper permits. Rather, we would suggest that, when segmenting the Chinese urban consumer market, both geographic region and economic variables should be considered. While Cui and Liu note that the effect of income is apparent in the consumption of new or Western products and luxury goods Cui and Liu pp. 66?
