关键词: 收入不平等, 住房攀比, 潜在流动性约束

Abstract: Using the micro-tracking data of CFPS in 2010, 2012 and 2014, we find that the relation between income inequality and household consumption is associated with credit constraints and family social status preferences. Housing comparisons will eventually make housing standards higher and increase house prices, and this implies that the future of the family is at greater risk of liquidity constraints. Therefore, increasing housing budget may have inhibitory effect on daily consumption in urban household expenditure : 1) The increase of the housing size of the surrounding groups will make the households choose and buy even bigger houses. Also, the comparison effect on the stimulating function for housing demand is obviously greater than that on the restrictive function for housing demand drove by housing price rise. 2) Both the increase of average housing size and the rise of housing prices are all related with housing comparison incurred by income inequality. 3) Income inequality is of both driving and restrictive functions for urban households consumption. 4）Latent liquidity constraints on the restrictive function for households consumption relate to the rank of households status.

Key words: Income Inequality, Housing Comparison, Latent Liquidity Constraints