Work

A Study on the Influence of Borrowing on Household Consumption Expenditures: A Layered Comparison from the Perspective of Alleviating Relative Poverty

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study investigates how borrowing influences household consumption patterns in low-income and formerly impoverished regions of China, with implications for sustainable development goals (SDGs) such as poverty reduction (SDG 1), inclusive economic growth (SDG 8), and reducing inequalities (SDG 10). Using four rounds of 7516 households of balanced panel data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), a fixed-effects model was employed to analyze the impact of borrowing on total and categorized household consumption. Instrumental variable and treatment-effects models were applied to address endogeneity issues. Results reveal that a 1% increase in borrowing boosts total household consumption by 0.026%, with stronger effects on developmental and investment-oriented consumption, particularly among low-income households. Formerly impoverished areas experienced greater consumption growth, especially in education and training, indicating higher domestic demand potential and faster human capital accumulation. The study concludes that improving financial markets, aligning credit with specific needs, and leveraging local resources are essential for upgrading consumption structures and alleviating relative poverty.

Source: Sustainability

DOI: 10.3390/su17062782

Authors: Lan Ma, Ao Li, Shikai Zhou

Institutions: Renmin University of China, China Agricultural University

Language: English

Topic: Microfinance and Financial Inclusion

Subfield: Economics and Econometrics

Field: Economics, Econometrics and Finance

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: No poverty, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896