(ECNS) -- Chinese household incomes display significant disparities as the richest 20 percent of families earn as much as 19 times that of the poorest, said Wang Haidong, an official of the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) at a press conference on Wednesday.
A follow-up study on Chinese family development, the first of its kind, was initiated in 2014 by the commission.
According to the survey, Chinese families have become smaller in size. The majority have only two or three members while over 60 percent are nuclear, consisting of only two generations.
At the same time, unconventional family types have become increasingly common, including single-person, empty-nest, and DINK families. In addition, over 20 percent are migrant families, giving rise to "left-behind" children, women and senior citizens, wang said.
Chinese families overall have a strong need for welfare for the elderly, especially in terms of medical compensation.
Fathers are encouraged to play a bigger role in raising children since a their function has traditionally been limited in that regard, according to the survey.
Families that apply a family-planning policy perform better in many areas, including economic development, health management and inter-generational communication, compared to those who do not.
