Bias and inequity in rural incomes in post‐reform China

Official statistics report a rapid increase in nominal income for much of China's rural population. However, an examination of sources and distribution of the rise in rural incomes reveal significant statistical bias in the data. Further, studies of some Western scholars indicate that income gains have been distributed inequitably. This article examines official statistics and academic accounts of China's recent rural incomes to expose the causes and effects of these biases and inequities.