Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

"According to a study conducted by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences called "Research on Social Structure Change in Contemporary China," published in the Beijing Evening News on February 1, 2010, the middle class in China makes up about 23% of the total population, approximately 300 million people. Moreover, it is expected to increase by 1% every year. The middle class, as referred to here, is the layer of society that "has a stable income, owns a home and a car, and can afford to spend money on travel and education." They are primarily engaged in knowledge work. Thus, in China, an estimated 13.5 million people are added to this group each year, even if they stay silent. It is not just China. There is also data that suggests that by 2015, 1.45 billion people in Asia as a whole and by 2020, 200 million people will join the middle class."