BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Young Chinese are choosing to leave top-tier cities due to soaring housing prices, according to a survey published by China Youth Daily Tuesday.
A total of 64.4 percent of respondents said unaffordable housing was the biggest obstacle for them settling in metropolises such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
Feng Qian is among those leaving the cities. He went back to his hometown of Shijiazhuang in Hebei Province after graduating from Peking University four years ago.
"I feel so fortunate to have left Beijing," said Feng, who bought his own apartment and got married in Shijiazhuang one year after graduation.
The cost of living, pollution, work pressure, registering as a permanent resident and traffic are among other reasons prompting young people to leave big cities.
The survey had 2,000 respondents, who were or had been working and studying in top-tier cities. A total of 23.3 percent had already left, while 47.7 percent were considering leaving.
People from the country's central and western regions have the strongest desire to escape top-tier cities, with provincial capitals not in the top-tier largely their first choice.
