Self-employed households can pay social security. Individual businessmen without employees, part-time workers who do not participate in the basic pension insurance in the employing organization, and other flexibly employed people can pay social security and be credited to the insurance's centralized fund and personal account.

The Chinese people*** and the State Social Insurance Law, Article 10 employees shall participate in the basic pension insurance, by the employer and the employee*** with the payment of basic pension insurance premiums. Individual industrial and commercial households without employees, part-time workers who do not participate in basic pension insurance with their employers, and other flexibly employed persons may participate in basic pension insurance and pay basic pension insurance premiums by themselves. The methods of pension insurance for civil servants and staff members administered under the civil service law shall be prescribed by the State Council. Article 12 of the Social Insurance Law of the People's Republic of China (PRC) stipulates that employers shall pay basic pension insurance premiums in accordance with the proportion of the total wages of the employees of the organization as prescribed by the State, which shall be credited to the Basic Pension Insurance Co-ordination Fund. Employees shall pay basic pension insurance contributions in proportion to their own wages as prescribed by the State, which shall be credited to their individual accounts. Individual business households without employees, part-time workers who do not participate in the basic pension insurance of the employer, and other flexibly employed persons to participate in the basic pension insurance shall pay the basic pension insurance premiums in accordance with the state regulations, which shall be credited to the basic pension insurance fund and individual account respectively.