Spatial-temporal characteristics and transfer modes of rural homestead in China

The exact number of rural homesteads in China is still unclear, and issues such as idle homesteads and “one household with multiple homesteads” are prevalent. These problems hinder rural economic development and the realization of common prosperity. This study calculated the rural homestead area (RHA) and per capita homestead area (PRHA) of 31 provinces and 8 geographical regions from 2009 to 2022, then analyzed the spatio-temporal changes of homestead area, per capita homestead area and per household homestead area. Finally, the typical homestead transfer modes in the eight regions of China were systematically studied and a national homestead transfer mode was proposed. The results show that: (1) From 2009 to 2022, RHA showed a trend of increased fluctuation. The change in RHA can be divided into two phases: rapid increase (2009–2019) and slow decrease phase (2020–2022). (2) Rural homesteads were primarily concentrated in East, Central, Southwest, and Northwest China. The distribution of RHA is affected by regional geographical conditions, rural population, economic structure, culture and policies. The growth rate of RHA in China displays a spatial pattern of “fast in the West, moderate in the central regions, and slow in the East”. (3) The PRHA of China increased yearly, and shows a significant spatial distribution characteristic of “larger in the North and smaller in the South”. China had a severe phenomenon of “one household with multiple homesteads”, with 466.15m²/per household in 2022. In most provinces, the per household homestead is in a state of moderate exceeded standards, while in Tibet and Hainan, it is extremely exceeded. (4) Northeast, Northwest, Central China, and the Qinghai-Tibet region, predominantly use the reclamation mode, while North and South China primarily adopt the rental mode; East China and the Southwest are more suited to the mortgage mode, and Central and North China can also facilitate land transfer through replacement mode. These findings are helpful to provide the data basis and theoretical basis for the reform of the homestead system for governments in different regions.