This study delves into the correlation between rural road infrastructure and perceived social status and mobility among rural residents in China. The study aims understand the broad changes in the social status and mobility brought about by better road connectivity and how it has transformed the life and economic prospects of the rural population. The national survey data (China Labor-force Dynamics Survey 2012, 2014, 2016) were employed to examine the rural road infrastructure influencing social status and mobility. The two-way fixed effects regressions methodology was applied to analyze the data and derive meaningful conclusions. The empirical evidence demonstrates that the improvement in road quality significantly and positively influences the perceptions of social status and mobility among rural residents in China; better roads lead to improved transportation, more money from businesses, more people owning vehicles, and higher likelihood of residents having access to financial support within their community. The paper offers novel insights into how infrastructural improvements, specifically in road quality, impact social perceptions in rural China.
