[Post 1106] China’s Middle Class Cuts Spending: Is Its Economy At Risk? | Asia's Changing Middle Class | Insight

Summary

With over 400 million, China’s middle class is larger than the population of the United States.This group is expected to drive consumption and economic growth. The Chinese middle class, however, have instead tightened their purse strings. Savings hover near record highs. In China, the luxury goods market saw a 20 percent drop in sales last year. It is the sharpest decline in 14 years and spending in this sector is expected to be muted in 2025.

As Chinese suppliers look to other markets to absorb their products, small businesses in Southeast Asia struggle to compete with deluge of low-priced Chinese exports. Spurring investment and consumption have been high on the government’s agenda, but a trade war with the US is escalating. What happens if the world’s largest middle class continues to scrimp and save?