This study examines whether households in China utilize home equity to support their consumption post-retirement. Utilizing data from the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS), the analysis initially reveals significant drops in earnings and consumption expenditure following retirement, contradicting the predictions of the Life-Cycle Hypothesis. Subsequent event study finds that within four-years period after passing legal retirement age, the owner-occupied housing area saw a modest reduction of 2.5%. This suggests it is uncommon for Chinese retirees to rely on home equity to support consumption. The decrease in housing area is more pronounced among households owning multiple properties. However, most retirees with multiple homes sell their home equity for investment purposes, indicating a widening wealth inequality among retirees.

To participate in-person:

Venue: Weston Theatre, JG Crawford Building, 132 Lennox Crossing, Acton ACT (ANU Crawford School of Public Policy)

To participate online:

Zoom link: https://anu.zoom.us/j/88964984041?pwd=cUQ1OUxLMGVScFhONUVPWk9KTE0xQT09