Welfare Analysis of the Chinese Grain Policy Reforms

The Chinese grain policy reforms were implemented in 1994. The grain price subsidies were eliminated which led to a substantial grain price increase. This paper examines the welfare changes associated with the grain policy reforms. All welfare measures unambiguously show that the consumers became worse off after the implementation of the grain policy reforms. More interesting, however, is the comparison between the rich and poor consumers. Evidence suggests that the rich lost more than the poor in monetary terms. Finally, the analysis shows that income inequality in China went down after the grain policy reforms.