From May to July, 2002, the Urban Survey Corps of the National Bureau of Statistics conducted the first urban household property survey in China in eight provinces (municipalities directly under the Central Government), including Hebei, Tianjin, Shandong, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Sichuan, Gansu and Liaoning, with 3,997 families in large, medium and small cities as effective sample families. The survey results show that by the end of June 2002, the average property value of urban households in China was 228,300 yuan. Considering that this is the total value of each household's property, it is already an amazing figure. Therefore, once the report was published, it caused many questions. However, a more surprising figure appeared in the announcement of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The average property of urban residents in Beijing reached 475,000 yuan, which was higher than the national average of 228,300 yuan 1 times. As soon as this figure was announced, public opinion was in an uproar.
We don't want to discuss the authenticity and credibility of statistics bureau data. We can measure how many middle classes there are in China in another way. At the beginning of 2003, the People's Bank of China issued a statistical report. By the end of February 2003, the balance of local and foreign currency savings deposits of China residents had exceeded 10 trillion yuan, reaching 10.03 trillion yuan. Another set of legendary data in society is that 5 1% of domestic residents' savings deposits are concentrated in the hands of a few wealthy individuals and families of 20%. In other words, it means that 20% of wealthy individuals and families own more than half of China's 65,438+00 trillion household savings deposits. For the convenience of calculation, if every savings account is regarded as a family, and the number of people in each family is calculated according to the standard of three, China's population of 654.38+03 billion can be divided into 430 million families, of which 20%, that is, less than 90 million families, have more than 5 trillion domestic savings deposits of 654.38+00 trillion residents, with an average of nearly 60,000 yuan per family. We can also look at another set of data. It is reported that there were more than 900,000 private cars in Beijing by the end of 2002. If it is assumed that there is a "middle class" behind every private car, the number of middle class in Beijing exceeds 900,000. If all provinces and cities in the country reach the level of Beijing, there will be a middle class of nearly 30 million people in the country. In addition, it is said that there are 1 000 billionaires and 3 million millionaires in China. If this statement is reliable, it is hard to believe that some "experts" are willing to publicize that the middle class in China currently exceeds 200 million. In fact, we think that China has a middle class of about 30 million people, which is a relatively reliable figure.
The middle class we are talking about here is a "high standard" middle class, that is, economically, the per capita annual income reaches 1 to 50 thousand dollars. It is a fact that the middle class in China is mainly concentrated in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and a few cities in the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta. Only with such income can we afford a decent "middle-class standard" commercial house in these places and meet the implicit standard that the middle class has at least one house and most of them have one car.
Assets exceed 80 trillion, and wealth comes from various sources.
According to the report, China's private wealth is growing rapidly. At the end of 20 12, the total investable assets in China were about 83. 1 trillion yuan, an increase of 13.7% compared with 201. In the past two years, the mass affluent class in China has grown rapidly. 20 10, the number of this group reached 7.94 million, 2010.26 million. According to the growth rate of personal assets in recent years, this group will reach12.02 million by the end of 20 13. The private wealth held by this group is also increasing rapidly, and their per capita investable assets are about 6.5438+0.33 million yuan.
The source of wealth of this group is basically wages or corporate dividends, and some of them come from enterprises, real estate investment and stock market investment. 42.3% of the wealthy people have two or more sources of wealth. No more than 40% of women regard the property jointly owned by husband and wife as their source of wealth, which shows that the assets of wealthy women are highly independent. Real estate investment and stock market investment, which have always been the main channels of investment, also account for a large proportion of profits, which are 18.8% and 16.3% respectively. With a certain economic foundation, this group pays more attention to spiritual pleasure and quality of life. They love holiday travel, pay attention to their health and spend a lot of time on sports and fitness. They are also interested in collectibles, adding interest to life and cultivating sentiment, and at the same time taking collections as one of the investment methods.
After 60 s and 70 s, 80% adults don't want to immigrate.
The main population of the mass affluent class is the post-60 s and post-70 s, and the post-70 s accounts for more than 30% of the total population. These people have become the backbone of the mass affluent class through certain social accumulation. The post-80s generation is in the high-speed growth period of career development, and its proportion should not be underestimated. The data shows that this part of the population has generally received higher education, and the proportion of bachelor degree or above exceeds 2/3. From this, their overall image can be summarized as a group of young and middle-aged people with high cultural foundation. Men are slightly better than women in the total number by less than 10%, and the gender gap is not obvious.
fundamental/essential component
According to the investigation by the Urban Investigation Corps of the National Bureau of Statistics, the income standard of urban residents in China showed the characteristics of ladder distribution in 20 14 years.
There is a saying that the richest 10 people in contemporary China society are: 1, private entrepreneurs and self-employed; 2, state-owned enterprises contracting or leasing operators; 3. Successful people in the stock market; 4. Senior employees of foreign-funded enterprises; 5. Patent personnel with technical inventions; 6. Stars in entertainment and sports; 7.CEO some examples of new economy; 8. Some lawyers, brokers and advertisers; 9. Some returnees; 10, some scholars and experts. This statement is basically consistent with the survey conducted by the Urban Survey Corps of the National Bureau of Statistics, and it also proves the reliability of this "folklore" from another side. The largest middle class in China should come from the above 10 population. Among them, private entrepreneurs and senior employees of foreign-funded enterprises deserve special attention. Privatization, private enterprises have become the manufacturing machines of the middle class in China. Similarly, multinational companies such as Motorola are also copying the "scarce" middle class for China like an assembly line.
There are many theories about the future of the middle class in China. A person from the State Information Center said in Shenzhen: "In the next five years, 200 million people in China will enter the middle class consumer group." This person defines the middle class as "people who have a stable income, have the ability to buy their own houses and cars, and can use their income for tourism, education and other consumption." His confidence is shocking, but I don't know the basis of his speech. The famous Merrill Lynch also predicted that the number of middle class in China will reach 350 million in the next 10 year. However, a judgment of a US court tells us that even an international company like Merrill Lynch sometimes lies for profit. Therefore, we need to listen to such "sweet words" from both sides.
There is no doubt that China needs more middle class in the future. In addition to the above-mentioned 10 wealthy people and some state officials, Xiao Zhuoji, a professor in Peking University, believes that the middle class in China will mainly come from the following five types of senior talents: First, researchers who can turn scientific and technological achievements into industries. They put their research results into enterprises in the form of technology shares, and if the enterprises go public, they can get a lot of dividends. The second is the middle and senior managers in the financial and securities industry. Not employees in the current system, but employees of private and foreign-funded enterprises. Third, professionals in intermediary institutions, such as lawyers, accountants, appraisers, etc. After China's entry into WTO, the income of these people will be greatly increased. Fourth, middle and high-level personnel in foreign-funded enterprises. In Beijing, there is already a so-called "first generation" class, that is, the chief representative of foreign companies in China. They get equal pay for equal work with their foreign counterparts and enjoy low domestic consumption. Fifth, some private entrepreneurs. In addition, some stock market investors may become a member of the middle class. Niu Wenyuan, member of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chief scientist of the Sustainable Development Strategy Group of Chinese Academy of Sciences, put forward five criteria to judge whether a country has formed a sufficiently large middle class.
1. Whether the urbanization rate reaches more than 70%;
Second, whether the "white-collar" social labor force is greater than or at least equal to "blue-collar";
Third, whether the Engel coefficient has dropped below 0.3 on average;
Fourth, whether the Gini coefficient is controlled and maintained between 0.25 and 0.30;
5. Whether the per capita educational years have reached 12 years or more.
The annual Global Economic Outlook Report released by the World Bank in June 5438+February 65438+March 2006 defines the middle class as people whose annual income is between the per capita income levels of Brazil and Italy (about US$ 4,000 and US$ 654.38+US$ 0.7 million respectively). These happy minorities account for only 7.6% of the global population. However, the report predicts that by 2030, their number will increase to 65.438+0.2 billion, accounting for 654.38+06.654.38+0% of the global population. By then, there will be more than 30 developing countries with more than 40% of the population entering the rich and middle class. Only six developing countries have reached this standard.
What the outside world sees is the middle class.
Mao Zedong clearly regarded the national bourgeoisie in China as the middle class when he analyzed the situation of various classes in China society in 1926, and thought that this class represented the capitalist production relations between urban and rural areas in China. The attitude of this class in the China revolution is contradictory: when it is attacked by foreign capitalism and oppressed by feudal warlords, it needs revolution and supports the revolutionary movement against imperialism and warlords; However, faced with the brave participation of the domestic proletariat in the revolution and the active assistance of the international proletariat abroad, they doubted the revolution when they felt that the development of the class that wanted to achieve the status of the big bourgeoisie was threatened. The contradictory attitude of the middle class determines that the idea of an independent revolution in which the middle class is the main body is only an illusion. Employees engaged in mental work in western capitalist countries are also called the middle class, mainly including managers, professional and technical personnel, clerks and salesmen. This is a theoretical viewpoint of western scholars to explain the changes of class structure in western capitalist countries under the new situation of the continuous development of science and management science and the increasing number of managers and professional and technical personnel. Its purpose is to demonstrate that modern capitalist society has been or is being "bourgeois", thus denying the existence of class and class struggle and diluting the historical position and role of the working class.
The "middle class", also called "middle class" or "middle class" or "middle class" or "middle income class" in China, is no longer a class in the sense of ownership in Marxism, but a group or social class with similar self-evaluation, lifestyle, value orientation and psychological characteristics. Generally speaking, the middle class in China is a concept with China characteristics and "international integration". That is, the middle class, as a social stratum, is a relatively rich group with high cultural literacy and quality of life, and has a strong sense of identity with the mainstream values and the existing order, and belongs to the middle-income group in the whole society.
195 1 year, Wright Mills, a famous American sociologist, first put forward the concept of the white-collar class, that is, the "middle class", and studied the situation of the "middle class" in detail. He pointed out that a new group-"middle class" has emerged in western industrialized countries, including middle-level administrative officials in government departments, middle-level managers and staff in state-owned and private monopoly enterprises, and professional and technical personnel in other fields. He gave a definition of "middle class", that is, "middle class" is such a group:
(1) belongs to a huge organization, specializing in indirect productive administrative work and technical services.
(2) There is no fixed private property, and there is no right to distribute the property of service organizations, let alone assets.
(3) Make a living by knowledge and technology, and get a relatively stable and generous annual salary or monthly salary.
(4) conservative thinking, monotonous life machinery and lack of revolutionary enthusiasm, but in order to maintain a decent image commensurate with their status, they refuse vulgarity and vulgarity. In China, generally speaking, the "middle class" in the eyes of fashion media and ordinary people is often associated with such words as "white collar", "high income", "high consumption" and "high education". Judging from the materials obtained from relevant interviews, respondents generally believe that the "middle class" in China includes the following categories:
1, private entrepreneurs emerging after the reform and opening up;
2. "White-collar workers" (mainly office secretaries and skilled workers, etc. ) at all levels and foreign-funded enterprises.
3. Teachers, engineers and senior professional and technical personnel with senior titles who are in short supply in various markets;
4. The "boss" of large state-owned enterprises and monopoly industries;
5. Stars and "big names" in the fields of media, entertainment and sports.
Forbes China's definition of the middle class;
1. Living in the city.
Between 2.25 and 45 years old.
3. Have a college degree.
4. Professionals and entrepreneurs.
5. Annual income 1 10,000-60,000 USD.
Six standards of middle class in American eyes:
1. Whether you have a house or not, house slaves are not counted.
Whether you have a car or not, luxury cars are the first choice.
3. Can children receive a good college education?
4. Whether there is retirement protection to maintain 80% income when working.
5. Whether there is medical insurance or not, serious illness and disaster must be guaranteed.
6. Do you have holidays at home? At least two weeks paid holidays every year.
The middle class in the eyes of netizens;
1. The annual income is more than 200,000.
Two misunderstandings about the division of the middle class
Myth 1: Income-How much is the middle class? 50 thousand or 500 thousand
One-third of the income is discretionary.
Economists' definition of the middle class is still inconclusive. According to the article, defining the middle class in China is a confusing thing, and the most commonly used definition is based on income.
According to the definition of McKinsey Global Institute, the middle class in China is people whose annual income (calculated by purchasing power) is between 13500 and $53900 (about 90,000 to 360,000 yuan). The National Bureau of Statistics defines the middle class as an annual income of 7250-62500 US dollars (about 50-420 thousand yuan).
The article said that these figures are not only very different, but also misleading. The cost of living in China is quite different from that in the West. If a person earns $65,438+0,000 a month, he can live a good life in China, but not in the United States.
Therefore, the article holds that anyone with an annual income of $65,438 +0 to $60,000 in China may become a middle class, but the eternal criterion for measuring the middle class is whether he can freely control one third of his income.
Myth 2: occupation-occupation [blue collar without middle class?
In addition to taking income as a measure, the article also questioned the definition of the middle class occupation by the research group led by Professor Zhou Xiaohong of Nanjing University ―― professionals in management and technical industries, entrepreneurs, private entrepreneurs and civil servants.
According to the article, unlike the United States, China's middle class is concentrated in big cities and younger than the western middle class. To some extent, the middle class is a western concept, which has been misunderstood by China people.
In their view, the western middle class has a house and a car, and can often travel and spend holidays, which is a polite and tasteful way of life. In fact, there are many middle classes in those low-skilled industries. There are middle-class workers and peasants, such as middle-level and senior technicians, who are "white-collar" among the "blue-collar".