Abstract

There has been a good deal of research on China’s growing inequalities, and increasing attention to public attitudes toward those inequalities. Martin Whyte’s 2011 study found surprisingly little dissatisfaction across the Chinese population with income inequalities. But there are other dimensions to inequality and an important one is access to health care. What do Chinese people think about unequal access to health services? Are inequalities in access to health care a more likely source of anger and dissatisfaction with government than income inequalities? This paper examines data from a nationwide survey of the Chinese population conducted in late 2012 and early 2013. It examines public attitudes toward unequal access between different groups of people and the determinants of dissatisfaction.