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Floating Population
The term used in China for rural-to-urban migrants who live and work in cities without formal urban hukou registration. The floating population grew from around 30 million in 1990 to an estimated 290-380 million by 2020, forming the backbone of China's manufacturing and construction workforce. Because they lack urban hukou, floating population migrants are often denied access to public schools, hospitals, and social insurance in their city of residence.
Hukou System
China's household registration system, introduced in 1958, which ties citizens' access to public services (schools, hospitals, welfare benefits) to their registered place of birth. Citizens registered as rural residents who migrate to cities receive only limited access to urban public services, creating a two-tier system. As of 2020, an estimated 290 million "floating population" migrants lived in cities without full urban hukou status, unable to access healthcare, education, or social security benefits on equal terms with registered urban residents.