Mind the Gap: Health at the Edge of Retirement: Evidence from Fuzzy RD in China

Canran Xie

doi:10.54691/f1j6ds11

Authors

Canran Xie

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54691/f1j6ds11

Keywords:

Retirement; Health; Pension Reform.

Abstract

Using panel data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) between 2010 and 2020, this paper examines the causal impact of statutory retirement on individual health outcomes in China’s formal sector. Employing a fuzzy regression discontinuity design, we find that retirement significantly improves self-rated health among men and reduces the probability of some chronic diseases among women. The health benefits are more pronounced among individuals with higher socioeconomic status and appear partially driven by changes in post-retirement consumption patterns. In contrast, psychological health indicators show no significant response to retirement. These findings contribute to the growing literature on the health consequences of retirement and offer timely insights for China’s ongoing pension reform amid population aging.

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