Abstract:

Carbon emissions from household consumption constitute a significant share of global emissions and represent an increasingly important area of policy concern. The household carbon footprint—defined as the sum of direct and indirect carbon emissions of household consumption along the supply chain—has received increasing attention. In China， the coexistence of various population trends such as household miniaturization （i.e.， a rise in single- and two-person households） and persistently low fertility rates make it crucial to understand the relationship between household characteristics （e.g.， household size and structure） and household carbon footprints. However， research on household carbon footprints based on household characteristics is still in its infancy. To address this issue， the micro-household survey data are combined with the input-output tables to build an extended input-output model that estimates household carbon footprints for different household sizes and structures， covering both urban and rural areas in China. Specifically， the input-output tables and population data are sourced from the National Bureau of Statistics， the carbon emissions inventory is sourced from the Carbon Emission Account and Datasets （CEADs）， and household consumption expenditure data is sourced from the China Family Panel Studies （CFPS）. The results reveal three key findings. First， per capita household carbon footprints decrease with increasing household size， displaying a decreasing marginal contribution due to economies of scale in shared consumption （e.g.， housing and transport）. Second， within households of the same size， those with more children exhibit higher per capita carbon footprints， primarily due to increased spending on culture， education， and entertainment. Third， although urban households generally have higher per capita emissions than rural ones， the gap narrows as household size increases. These results highlight the importance of incorporating household and demographic characteristics into climate mitigation strategies. A better understanding of how household composition influences carbon footprints can inform targeted mitigation strategies and promote more equitable and effective climate action at the household level.

Key words: household carbon footprints, household size, household structure, urban-rural gap, input-output model