The Spatial-Temporal Hierarchy of Inequality in Urban China: A Prefectural City-Level Study

Inequality has been the subject of intense debates in China, but inequality across cities remains less studied. This article investigates economic inequality based on prefectural-level cities during the period from 1990 to 2010. Statistical analyses indicate that interregional inequality among cities has increased, which is mostly attributable to widening intraregional inequality, especially within the western region. The high gross domestic product (GDP) per capita clusters emerged in the Pearl River Delta in the 1990s, spread to the Yangtze River Delta in the 2000s, and then reached north China in the 2010s. In contrast, the number of low GDP per capita clusters significantly increased in the central and western regions in the 2010s. In addition, the significance of national development zones and foreign direct investment indicates the greatest effect of globalization on the increasing intercity inequality. Decentralization also contributes to the intercity inequality of China. We suggest that in addition to national programs aimed at reducing the inequality between the eastern region and the rest of China, efforts are needed to reduce inequality within each region through provincial and local government policies, especially in western China.