Abstract: Perceived social mobility is people’s subjective feelings about their own social mobility experience, which is an integral part of social mentality and an important perspective for understanding the Chinese mentality order. Unlike previous studies that reduce perceived mobility to individual psychology， this study delves into the world of meaning and explains the distributional characteristics and formation mechanisms of urban and rural residents’ perceived mobility against the background of changes in the urban-rural resource allocation system and the household registration system. Based on data from the 2010-2021 China General Social Survey（CGSS）， the study finds that：（1） The distribution of perceived mobility is shifted upward， with the majority of residents having positive mobility perceptions， which is related to the general increase in income and living standards brought about by sustained economic growth and upgrading of industrial and occupational structures. （2）There are significant differences in perceived mobility among the four groups： rural residents， floating population， “agricultural to non-agricultural” migrants and urban residents. Perceived mobility is most positive among rural residents， followed by floating population and “agricultural to non-agricultural” migrants， and most negative among urban residents. Perceived mobility is related to the tension between people’s subjective cognitive schemas about social status and mobility and their objective reality.（3）There is an intergenerational effect on the urban-rural difference in perceived mobility， with the urban-rural difference being more pronounced among older generations who have experienced the planned economy than among younger generations. To a certain extent， this generational difference also confirms the impact of institutional change on perceived mobility. This study analyzes urban and rural residents’perceived mobility from a holistic perspective， providing insights into the complex relationship between institutional change and social mentality.

Key words: perceived social mobility, social change, household registration system, mentality order