Journal of East China Normal University(Educationa ›› 2025, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (5): 57-75.doi: 10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5560.2025.05.005

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How Does Education Prevent the Decline of Middle-income Groups:Data Analysis Based on Chinese Family Panel Studies

Maocong Zhang1, Minhui Li2, Xiaoting Fan2   

  1. 1. Research Center for Educational Policy and Management, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
    2. School of Economics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
  • Online:2025-05-01 Published:2025-04-21

Abstract:

Expanding the middle-income group is an important measure to promote common prosperity. Stabilizing the middle-income group and preventing it from sliding downwards is the top priority for expanding the middle-income group. Based on the China Family Panel Studies data and using a binary choice model, drawing on the vulnerability measurement method of expected poverty, this study estimates the probability of middle-income group decline and empirically tests whether education can prevent middle-income group decline. Research has shown that education can effectively prevent the decline of middle-income groups. Mechanism analysis reveals that education can prevent slippage by improving household employment stability and enhancing risk prevention awareness. Heterogeneity analysis found that within the middle-income group, the effectiveness of education in preventing the decline of the lower middle-income group is greater than that of the middle and upper middle-income groups; In terms of educational hierarchy differences, higher education plays an important role in preventing the decline of middle-income groups. In terms of urban-rural differences, the effectiveness of education in rural areas in preventing the decline of middle-income groups is greater than that in urban areas. Further analysis shows that online education has a significant moderating effect on preventing the decline of middle-income groups, especially for middle-income groups with a predicted decline probability of 40%-70%. Non-degree education does not have a moderating effect. To this end, we must prioritize the development of education and improve the overall level of human capital in society.Also, it's important to accelerate the high-quality development of higher education and increase resource investment, actively promote the AI large language model in the intelligent era to empower online education reform and innovation, and continuously improve the social security system to provide institutional guarantees for stability.

Key words: education, middle income group, decline risk, prevention