Concept · Politics

Hukou

hùkǒu
China
Formalised 1958, reformed repeatedly since

In plain English

China's household registration system, which ties a person to a registered locality and historically to an agricultural or non-agricultural classification, affecting access to schooling, healthcare and other local public services.

Literally

Household mouth — that is, household registration.

Commonly mistaken for

It is not an internal passport and does not by itself prevent movement. Hundreds of millions live and work outside their registered locality; the constraint is on entitlement to local services rather than on travel.

Worked example: Shanghai school admission without local registration

Shanghai’s 2026 admission rules explain how residence and registration have different consequences. For a pupil accompanying a household registered elsewhere, the city requires a valid Shanghai residence permit or residence-registration certificate. One adult in the household must also hold a valid Shanghai residence permit and satisfy either six months of qualifying local employee social insurance within the specified year or three continuous years of registered flexible employment. Officials verify these documents during the enrollment process. The requirements concern eligibility for local public schooling; they do not amount to a blanket ban on moving to Shanghai. Admission remains conditional on the applicable local rules.

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Chinese

· · ·

hukou; household registration system; hukou reform; migrant population

Involution (neijuan) — 内卷

Sources

Review status. Sources linked and checked against primary references, 18 October 2026.