ABSTRACT
The economic development in China has tremendously affected its social stratification. A new middle class is emerging and expanding in China. Initially, this group of people has been singled out based on economic factors such as house-hold income and purchasing power, and is labelled as the ‘new rich’ in contemporary China. However, as the occupational structure transforms, and people’s standards of living rise, the overall pattern of stratification is changing. In addition to economic factors, lifestyle factors have become more important in the structuring process of China’s new middle class.
