Guangming Daily published an article about the size of China’s middle class. It stated that about 20 percent of the population in China is in the middle class. That number is far below the level of advanced countries based on the definition of an income of US$10 to $100 per day per person per family, the standard defined by the World Bank. The article stated that the reasons that China is behind other countries is that China’s economic development style is a labor intensive manufacturing process structure with a small number required in high tech professions. Also, in 2014, only 11.5 percent of China’s population held associate or bachelor’s college degrees, a number that is far below the average of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries. The urbanization of farmers moving from the countryside into the city has also had an impact on the growth of the middle class population.
Source: Guangming Daily, July 11, 2016
http://news.gmw.cn/2016-07/11/content_20906741.htm