CASS: Chinese middle class swelling (Xinhua) Updated: 2004-03-30 08:36
China's middle class covered 19 percent of the total population by 2003, up 1
percentage points every year since 1999, according to a report released by the
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).
According to CASS's standard, families with assets valued from
150,000 to 300,000 yuan (US$18,072 to US$36,144) can be classified as middle class.
About 49 percent of households in the urban areas meet the middle class
standard, but considering the large amount of families with lower incomes in the
rural areas, the report reachedthe result that the middle class covers 19
percent of the total population.
Based on the figures of 15 percent in 1999 and 19
percent in 2003, the percentage of middle class people in China is expected to
reach 40 percent in 2020 under current economic growth
condition.
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