An Introduction to the China Land Sales Data Set: The Universe of Land-Use-Right Transfers in China 2000-2022

The China Land Sales Data Set (2000-2022) includes the universe of land-use-right sales in China in the first 23 years of the 21st century, a period of the fastest mass urbanization and intense infrastructure construction in China’s history, that accompanied the rapid growth of China’s economy and household income. For this reason, this data set carries substance in many ways for anyone who needs to understand the occurrences in China of that period. The phrase “land sale” refers to the transfer of land-use right from the state as the sole owner of urban land to any individual, firm or entity who pay a lump-sum amount upfront for a fixed term. This paper is Chapter 1 of a long paper that offers a comprehensive introduction to the data set, an analytical sketch of multiple substantive aspects of the data set, and a practical users guide for researchers with or without familiarity with the Chinese context. Designed as such, this paper will be a platform for widest possible use of the data set by researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, especially those working outside China. This chapter is an overview of the data set. Section 1 provides basic information of the data set – its size, sources, and qualifications. Section 2 introduces and defines key variables included in the data set, as the foundation for understanding and appropriate use of the data set. Section 3 presents summary statistics of the data set by the key variables, that are useful handrails for potential users of the data set in obtaining insights into the land and housing markets in China. Section 4 is a summary of this introduction chapter.