The “Kill Threshold” Phenomenon and Household Financial Risk: A Questionnaire Survey of Families in Changzhou
Keywords:
kill threshold, household risk, fixed expenditure, reserves, external supportAbstract
This study examines the household risk implied by the “kill threshold” phenomenon through four dimensions: income continuity, fixed expenditure ratio, reserve coverage time, and external support. Based on a questionnaire survey and stress-scenario test of 137 families in Changzhou, it finds that most households remain basically stable in daily life, but structural differences become clear when sudden expenses and income interruption occur together. Households with thinner reserves, higher fixed expenditures, and weaker support are more likely to enter financial strain. The “kill threshold” is understood here as a structural critical state formed when household buffering space is gradually compressed.
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