Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

The recent rapid economic growth in China has been accompanied by social transformations such as increases in the levels of internal migration and marital dissolution. The problems are compounded by social pressures against divorce, traditional preference for sons, and the one-child policy. Using longitudinal data from China Health and Nutrition Survey covering over 19,000 individuals during 1989-2011, this paper modeled the inter-relationships between internal migration, divorce, and individual well-being. First, the estimated random effects probit models showed that migration periods significantly increased the chances of divorce. Second, having sons implied more stable marriages for men reflecting son-preference. Third, the results from dynamic random effects models for individuals’ self-reported health showed different effects of separation periods for men and women; divorce did not significantly lower self-reported health status. Fourth, dynamic models for systolic and diastolic blood pressures showed significant effects of individuals’ Body Mass Index and alcohol consumption. Finally, the policy implications of the findings for family well-being are discussed.