Generations differ in Guangdong, poll finds

Younger villagers, aged 18 to 30, think differently from their parents in terms of farming, migrating to cities and having children, according to a poll by the Canton Public Opinion Research Center's report on villagers in Guangdong province.

As many as 89 percent of the polled young villagers did not think young people were willing to stay in rural areas.

Altogether 45 percent of the polled young villagers found work other than farming and only 13 percent chose to live off the land. In contrast, 44 percent of the polled older villagers, 50 to 60 years old, earned their living by farming and only 17 percent found other work.

The poll also found that 21 percent of the polled young villagers run their own businesses, which is 9 percentage points higher than polled older villagers.

Interestingly, while 38 percent of the polled older villagers would love to settle down in big cities if they were able to, 50 percent of the polled young villagers prefer medium-sized cities.

The poll shows that young villagers are less discriminatory in gender issues.

Among the polled young villagers, 63 percent did not care whether they had a boy or a girl. However, 54 percent of the polled older villagers believed that a male heir was vitally important.

The poll was conducted from October 2012 to June 2013.