A Collectivism Index for Investigating Cultural Variation in China across Regions and Time

We created a collectivism index to measure regional differences in China. The index uses eight Census indicators that reflect family living arrangements, marriage stability, innovation, and independence. The Census data offers large, nationally representative data, which ensures high-fidelity measurement and fine-grained geographic resolution from provinces down to prefectures (N = 356). The data also allows researchers to track change over time because the data stretches from 1982 to 2020. This dataset is useful for exploring causes of societal differences, outcomes of collectivism, and cultural shifts in longitudinal data.