The influence of an urban hukou and its acquisition methods on older adults’ happiness: an analysis based on the Chinese General Social Survey

The hukou system is a population management policy in China. However, existing research has paid little attention to the relationships between Chinese urban hukou, its acquisition methods, and older adults’ happiness. This study was based on 10,954 samples from the Chinese General Social Survey in 2013, 2015, and 2017. An ordinary least squares model was used to analyze the influence and differential influence of an urban hukou and its access paths on happiness among older adults. Compared with having a rural hukou, having an urban hukou is correlated with higher levels of happiness in older adults. Moreover, those who had actively converted to an urban hukou or were born with it were happier, while passive conversion to an urban hukou was not significantly correlated with happiness. Additionally, actively converting to an urban hukou and being born with urban hukou influence the happiness of older adults by affecting their class identity and income. To improve older adults’ happiness, it is necessary to narrow the welfare gap between an urban and rural hukou, balance the allocation of public resources in urban and rural areas, and make targeted assessments to solve the difficulties of older adults who passively convert to an urban hukou.