ABSTRACT

In the past 30 years, China has experienced the transformation from a planned economy to a market economy. Over this period, the economic reform has generated considerable achievements. As a result, on the one hand, income has increased significantly, the population in poverty has declined considerably, and the people’s material standard of living has improved gradually. On the other hand, in the context of the rapid transformation of the social and economic structure, there have been added pressures on families. With frequent mobility and job instability has come a sharp decline in educational benefits, as well as difficulties in finding health care and housing. What impacts have been imposed by the reform and development over the past three decades on the quality of family life and lifestyle in China? This chapter will describe and analyse the quality of family life and lifestyle from the perspectives of living conditions, time use, leisure life, and subjective evaluation of family life.