Double Jeopardy in Contemporary China: Intersecting the Socioeconomic Gradient and Geographic Context on Early Childhood Development

Family socioeconomic status (SES) differences in early childhood development (ECD) are well documented, as are the neighborhood effects in early development outcomes. However, little is known about whether the SES gradient in ECD outcomes varies across geographic contexts by county-level variables in contemporary China. This study examines the effects of county-level socioeconomic background on inequalities in the developmental outcomes of young Chinese children. Individual-level child development data based on four early development milestones—taking a first step, first sentences, counting 10 objects, fully independent toileting—were combined with family- and county-level socioeconomic data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). Using a hierarchical linear model (HLM) to examine how the broader socioeconomic context plays a role in the attainment of developmental milestones at expected times as young children grow and develop, we have found significant cross-level interaction effects between family SES and county-level variables in relation to developmental milestone attainment. The family SES gradient in the achievement of children’s developmental milestones is steeper for those in the under-developed regions than their counterparts in the more developed regions. Our findings suggest that low-SES children who are living in socioeconomically deprived regions suffer from a double disadvantage in terms of early development outcomes. Further research would be needed to contextualize the observed interactions and better explain the underlying mechanisms.