Urbanization inequality: evidence from vehicle ownership in Chinese cities

This paper investigates the inequality in vehicle ownership across 283 Chinese cities from 2001 to 2018. Key findings reveal uneven distribution, primarily in northern and eastern coastal cities and provincial capitals; a declining trend in inequality at national and regional scales; an S-shaped growth pattern of vehicle ownership rates, with most cities in early motorization stages; and a likely lower saturation level of vehicle ownership in China compared to developed countries. These results are valuable for forecasting future vehicle demand, assessing environmental impacts, and informing carbon neutrality strategies.

Linlin Duan, Lulu Song, Wanjun Wang, Xiaomei Jian, Reinout Heijungs, Wei-Qiang Chen