The middle class is a concept that is often mentioned in China, but its definition is vague. According to the standards of The Economist magazine, the middle class is defined as an annual income of 1150,000 to 4$30,000 crowd. By this standard, the number of people in China's middle class reached 10.4 billion, accounting for 18% of the global middle class. However, these seemingly affluent middle class are generally anxious and uneasy. They face multiple challenges such as housing prices**, shrinking incomes, educational pressures, medical risks, and retirement difficulties, making it difficult for them to maintain their social status and living standards. So, why is the middle class the most virtual class in Chinese society?
The core reason is that the wealth of the middle class is not stable, they do not control the means of production, and can only sell their labor or knowledge and skills in exchange for income. In this case, their income is often affected by factors such as economic cycles, market competition, policy changes, etc., and once they encounter a crisis, they may lose their jobs or reduce their income, resulting in a shrinkage of wealth. For example, the outbreak of the new crown epidemic in 2020 has brought a huge impact on China's middle class, and many small and medium-sized business owners, freelancers, and white-collar workers are facing difficulties such as closure, layoffs, and salary cuts.
Moreover, the wealth of the middle class is often concentrated in real estate, and the value of real estate is affected by factors such as supply and demand, policy regulation, and regional differences, and may not be able to maintain and increase its value. Especially in some third- and fourth-tier cities, housing prices have fallen instead of rising, resulting in middle-class properties becoming "negative equity" and burdened with heavy mortgages.
The social position of the middle class is not stable, they belong neither to the upper elite nor to the lower masses, they are in the middle of society, they have to face both pressure from the top and competition from the bottom. They often lack the right to speak and influence, find it difficult to participate in social decision-making and system design, and can only passively adapt to social changes. In order to prevent their middle-class status from being deprived, they are constantly worried and anxious, worried about losing their jobs and income, worried about housing prices** and shrinking wealth, worried about their children's education and future prospects, worried about medical risks and retirement problems. Their lives are full of uncertainty and insecurity, and it is difficult to enjoy true happiness and freedom.
Therefore, the middle class is the most virtual class in Chinese society, because their wealth**, social status and lifestyle are unstable, unstable and unhappy. That's all for this article, if you like this article, welcome to like and collect it