Survey and Research Center for China Household Finance of Southwestern University of Finance and Economics was established in 2010. It is a think tank based survey and research institution that integrates data collection and research. It is one of the first innovation and talent introduction bases in the humanities and social sciences category of China's "Discipline Innovation and Talent Introduction Plan for Higher Education Institutions". The center aims to build a high-quality and sustainable database of micro subjects in Chinese households. Up to now, the center has successfully implemented six rounds of China Household Finance Survey, with more than 20000 students participating in the survey. The sample is distributed in 29 provinces (cities, districts), 367 districts and counties, 1481 communities, covering 40011 households and 127012 individuals. It is one of the largest unofficial household asset sampling survey projects in China. In addition, the center has collaborated with nearly 20 universities, including Peking University, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Zhejiang University, to conduct joint surveys and create a data survey sharing platform for Chinese universities, which has effectively promoted the development of micro data industry in China.

As of the end of 2022, the survey data from the center has been made available for free to the academic community. At present, there are 51028 registered users and 4729 registered institutions. According to existing data, there are more than 5800 articles produced by various sectors relying on central data, including 2094 "empirical research" articles, accounting for 39.2%. Based on high-quality research and rich research data, the center has formed three characteristic research areas: household finance, income distribution, and housing and urbanization. It has produced 201 high-level papers in the field of household finance, of which 95 (above A level) have been published in top domestic and foreign journals such as Economic Research, Management World, PNAS, Journal of Public Economics, and Journal of Econometrics.

China Household Finance Survey has become a high-quality course for practical education and ideological and political education at Southwest University of Finance and Economics. "Chinese Family Finance Survey and Practice" has been selected as one of the first national first-class undergraduate social practice courses, and "Anti Poverty Survey and Practice" has been approved as the second batch of provincial-level first-class undergraduate projects in Sichuan Province. Obtained 31 vertical projects at or above the provincial and ministerial level, including 1 major project funded by the National Social Science Fund; Published 14 monographs including "2012 China Household Finance Survey Report" and "2014 China Household Finance Survey Report"; The achievement has won one second prize and one third prize each in the Excellent Research Achievement Award (Humanities and Social Sciences) of higher education institutions, one Sun Yefang Financial Innovation Award, five provincial-level Excellent Research Achievement Awards, one provincial-level Excellent Teaching Achievement Award, and 20 other awards of various types; In 2015, the center was approved for the "China Family Finance Survey and Research Innovation Talent Introduction Base" ("111" Plan) under the Higher Education Discipline Innovation Talent Introduction Program.

Relying on data advantages and rooted in the real national conditions, the center has participated in more than 20 key projects at or above the provincial and ministerial level, such as the State Council Research Office, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Rural Development, and has released over 200 research reports, including the "China Household Finance Survey Report" and the "China Small and Micro Enterprise Development Report";   We have conducted research cooperation with well-known institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Agricultural Bank of China, and have received a total of 91 million yuan in horizontal project funding. In addition, the center accepts 300 interviews and reports from media such as Sina, Caijing, Caixin, and Science Magazine; In 2021, it was awarded the "Top Ten Social Service Special Cases" by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Think Tank Special Case Project; In 2018, it was selected as one of the "CTTI Top 100 University Think Tanks". From 2018 to 2022, the center's achievements have continuously won the CTTI Achievement Award in the China Think Tank Index, and the influence of think tanks has been continuously strengthened.