(ECNS) -- About 85.5 percent of people included in a new survey by China Youth Daily say they don't have a feeling of belonging to the big cities where they live or work.
The paper surveyed 2,000 young people working in China's first-tier cities -- Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen -- to better understand their thoughts and living conditions.
Most said they did not feel a sense of connection to the city they lived in, with 44.1 percent believing it's because they don't have hukou, or household registrations, in those cities.
Zhang Han, 30, who works in the IT industry, said he does not like his life in Beijing, even though he has a relatively high-paying job there. "It is difficult for me to get a Beijing hukou, or to buy an apartment in Beijing in the near future," Zhang said.
But Zhang does not plan to return to his hometown. "It's only in the big cities that I can use my knowledge and develop my career," he said.
Zhang is not alone. Some 43.8 percent surveyed said they cannot afford the high property prices in the big cities, and 42.6 percent said the high living costs make them feel unattached in the cities.
However, 55 percent said they still hope to keep working in a city. About 23 percent said they would like to return home, and 21.5 percent said they were not sure.
"Most of my friends are working in Shanghai since leaving college," said Chen Zeyi, who comes from a northern town. "My social circle is also in Shanghai. I don't have any friends if I return home."
In the survey, 59 percent said big cities can provide more job opportunities, which is why they want to live there. Some 49 percent said they can experience more new ideas and emerging industries in big cities, and 45.3 percent said transportation is more convenient.
About 67 percent said they feel "a sense of belonging to the city" after they have their own apartments, followed by "having a family," 63 percent, and "having hukou," 56.7 percent.
"I hope I can get a firm foothold in Beijing before I am 30 years old," said Xie Mingyu, who has been working in Beijing for about a year.
About 43 percent said they hope to fulfill their wishes when they are 30-35 years old, 24 percent at 35-40 years old, and 19.3 percent said it would be better when they are 25-30 years old.
