Abstract: Using macro-statistical information and household micro-survey data,this paper examines the overall situation and distribution characteristics of household education expenditure in rural China from 2000 to 2020,and tests the driving factors affecting rural household education expenditure by using the unconditional quantile regression method.The results find that,in the past 20 years,the level of education expenditure of rural households has been continuously increasing,and the proportion of household education expenditure to total household consumption expenditure has fluctuated between 5.9% and 9.4%.Compared with urban households,the education expenditure of rural households is lower,but the proportion of household consumption is higher.The difference of education expenditure among rural households is expanding over time,and the proportion of household education expenditure to family income is increasing by income.Family income and family structure are the main driving factors affecting the education expenditure of rural households,and the influence degree shows a trend change over time.This is shown in the fact that the elasticity of education expenditure is decreasing with the increase of expenditure level,and the family investment in pre-school education continues to increase.

Key words: rural households, education expenditure, driving factors, unconditional quantile regression