Urban poverty in China was perceived as virtually non-existent until the late 1990s.
Contemporary literature on Chinese urban poverty suggests the urban poor are comprised of a
highly diverse cohort of laid-off and low-paid workers, disabled persons, and rural migrants.
Migration research suggests rural migrants as a select group have different life course
outcomes from the abject urban poor in China. This paper connects the separate domains of
research on urban poverty and rural-urban migration in China and explores the complex dual
nature of urban poverty in a transitional socialist market economy. Based on the literature
review of urban poverty during the Maoist era and its structural and cultural aspects, the life
experiences of “traditional poor”, “new urban poor”, and migrant poor are compared within
the broader concern of the interrelationship between the economic transition after 1978 and its
effect on the poor segment of urban population in China. The difference between the
emerging new urban poverty groups and the traditional urban poverty group: the ‘three nos’
(people without income, working ability, or family support), in their residential choices is
discussed. The conclusion is made with some of the recent findings from the latest two
decennial censuses.