Beijing has the world’s least affordable¹ rental² housing, according to a survey of 15 global cities, with average prices more than 1.2 times average salaries.

根据英国非营利性组织“全球城市商业联盟”(Global Cities Business Alliance)对全球15个城市的调查，北京房租负担排名全球首位，其平均房租是平均工资的1.2倍以上。

The report by the Global Cities Business Alliance, a UK-based not-for-profit organisation³, raises fears over inclusive growth in a city that — according to one Chinese survey — this year surpassed New York to become the world’s billionaire capital.

这份报告对北京的包容性增长提出了担忧。而据中国一项调查显示，北京今年已超过纽约，成为全球亿万富豪之都。

Soaring house prices, which rose 18 per cent in the year to March, and restrictions⁴ on non-residents buying houses until they have paid tax in Beijing for five years, make renting the only option for many of the city’s young adults and migrant workers.

截至3月份，北京房价今年已上涨18%。房价的飙升，加上外地户口必须在北京连续纳税5年才能购房，使租房成了北京许多年轻人和外来务工人员的唯一选择。

“From an urban planning perspective, Beijing could be the most inefficient⁵ city in China,” said Liang Hong, chief economist⁶ of China International Capital Corporation. “The problem is on the land supply side. Central government organisations, such as the military and state-owned enterprises, take up a large portion of land in prime locations.”

中金公司(CICC)首席经济学家梁红表示：“从城市规划角度来看，北京可能是中国最没有效率的城市。问题出在土地供应方面。黄金地段的很大一部分土地都被中央政府机构，比如部队和国有企业给占用了。”

Beijing rent is nearly twice as expensive as its closest challenger, Abu Dhabi, according to the survey.

根据该调查，北京房租之高几乎是排名第二的阿布扎比的两倍。

High rents and urban inequality lead to longer commutes⁸ for service-sector workers who deliver location-specific services. The study found that hospital nurses, primary schoolteachers and bus drivers all faced rents of between 1.1 and 1.5 times their incomes.

高房租和城市发展的不均衡，延长了那些在固定场所上班的服务业员工的通勤时间。该调查发现，医院护士、小学教师和公交司机的房租是他们收入的1.1倍到1.5倍。

Beijing scored the second-longest commute⁷, at an average of 104 minutes per round-trip, behind Mexico City at 113 minutes.

北京的通勤时长也排到全球第二，平均往返时间为104分钟，第一名为墨西哥城，其平均往返时间为113分钟。

“The wealthiest workers will always be able to afford to live in the biggest cities, but the danger is that talented workers starting their careers in many sectors⁹ will find themselves priced out,” said Lesley Saville, GCBA chief executive.

全球城市商业联盟首席执行官莱斯利•萨维尔(Lesley Saville)表示：“最富有的员工总是住得起大城市，但危险的是在许多行业，刚参加工作的优秀员工发现他们负担不起房租。”

Rural-urban migration¹⁰ has put pressure on the rental market, especially as Beijing's neighbouring northern provinces lose their traditional industries of coal and steel. The city’s metropolitan¹¹ area has doubled in population in the past 20 years.

农村人口进城，尤其是北京北方相邻省份失去了煤炭和钢铁等传统产业，给北京租房市场带来了压力。过去二十年北京都市区人口增加了一倍。

Statistics released on Wednesday from the 2015 population survey showed that migration within China had increased 12 per cent from the 2010 national census¹².

周三公布的2015年人口调查统计数据显示，中国的流动人口比2010年人口普查时增加了12%。

High rental prices damage the economy by locking up consumer spending power, the report argues, finding that a further 10 per cent rise in rental prices would suck up about $3.5bn of consumption.

该报告认为高房租锁定了消费能力，对经济造成损害，并表示房租再上涨10%，消费就会减少35亿美元。