In this era, the leftover women in the city and the leftover men in the countryside have become the focus of heated discussions in society. The economic consumption behavior behind them is not only a personal choice, but also a mirror reflection of social structure and culture. The latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics provides us with an opportunity to deepen the consumption characteristics of these two groups.
In 2023, the per capita disposable income of residents nationwide will be 39,218 yuan, of which the income of urban residents will be as high as 51,821 yuan, while that of rural residents will be only 21,691 yuan. In terms of consumption, the per capita consumption expenditure of residents nationwide was 26,796 yuan, that of urban residents was 32,994 yuan, and that of rural residents was 18,175 yuan. This set of data highlights the huge economic gap between urban and rural areas.
Urban leftover women: the "power of her" that controls the huge consumer market
The Paper has reported that there are nearly 400 million female consumers in China between the ages of 20 and 60, who control up to 10 trillion yuan of consumer spending every year, making it the world's third-largest consumer market. As part of this huge consumer group, urban leftover women have unique economic consumption behaviors.
Ms. Lee, aged 35, is a successful business executive. In addition to her monthly income for rent and daily living expenses, she will also invest in self-improvement and quality of life. She regularly attends various trainings and lectures to enhance her professional skills; She is also passionate about fitness, traveling, and reading, believing that these are necessities to maintain an independent spirit and enrich her inner world. Ms. Li's concept of consumption represents the idea of many leftover women in the city, who pursue a quality of life rather than simple material satisfaction.
Rural leftover men: the consumption dilemma of tradition and reality
At the same time, in rural areas, the phenomenon of male surplus is also increasing. Most of them are difficult to find a suitable partner in the marriage market due to family economic conditions, personal education or ability, etc. The economic consumption pressure behind this is a reality that they have to face.
Mr. Zhang, 30 years old, is an ordinary farmer. Most of his annual income is spent on the family's basic living expenses, such as food, clothing, and housing. While he also aspires to improve his quality of life, he invests relatively little in education and skills training due to limited educational resources and employment opportunities. At the same time, he also faced high marriage costs, such as bride price, wedding banquet and house decoration. These pressures have made him more conservative and cautious in economic consumption.
The social mirror image behind the consumption difference
The difference in consumption between urban leftover women and rural leftover men not only reflects the difference in personal choices and living environments, but also reflects the deep-seated contradictions in social structure and culture. With the acceleration of urbanization and the improvement of modernization, urban women's sense of independence and consumption concept are also improving. In rural areas, due to the constraints of traditional concepts and economic conditions, there is still serious gender discrimination and marriage pressure.
This difference in consumption not only exacerbates social class differentiation and cultural conflict, but also affects the marriage choices and life trajectories of leftover men and women to a certain extent. Therefore, we need to pay more attention to the social roots behind this phenomenon, promote the balanced development of urban and rural areas, improve the education level and employment opportunities in rural areas, and fundamentally change the plight of leftover men in rural areas. At the same time, it is also necessary to advocate a more open and inclusive concept of marriage and love, eliminate gender discrimination and cultural prejudice, so that everyone can realize self-worth and pursue happiness in consumption and life.