We have referred to a wide range of secular mega-trends here on ChinaFund.com, some of which can be considered… well, problematic, for example China’s aging population. However, even the challenging ones have quite a bit of upside, sometimes lifting entire industries. While the insurance industry of China has most definitely not been lifted by demographics
China Demographics
16
Sep
Sep
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Retiring in China… Are Retirees a (Financial) Force or Threat?
Those of you who are familiar with the United States demographic landscape know all too well how the “Baby Boomer” generation that consists of individuals who have either retired or are retiring is shaping the economy. Across the US, entire sectors are adapting to the present as well as future needs of the generation in
22
Jul
Jul
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China’s Puzzling Contrast: Poverty Reduction vs. Inequality Increase
It goes without saying that China’s impressive post-1978 economic growth came with a more than significant poverty reduction. As inflation-adjusted income went up, the percentage of individuals living under the $1.9 per day poverty threshold plummeted, from almost 90% in the early 80s to low single digits today. However, a distinction needs to made between
20
Jul
Jul
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China’s Rural vs. Urban Population: Past, Present and Context
A story of GDP growth? Or maybe the story of the world’s most robust emerging middle class? Perhaps a story of gradual geopolitical dominance progress? There a quite a few headlines which describe China’s post-1978 journey. Yet an equally important one tends to receive less attention, the story of China’s massive urbanization, with its various
17
Jul
Jul
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The Good, the Bad and the Misleading: China’s Population
The fact that China’s population number lies north of 1.4 billion represents an element which one cannot afford to overlook in a detailed analysis. Sometimes, this number comes with positive implications, whereas oftentimes, it can be misleading and make us believe that China’s dominance in certain sectors is a function of its efficiency… when in
15
Jul
Jul
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China’s “Emerging” Middle Class?
The average Western investor tends to raise an eyebrow when analysts use terms such as “emerging” to describe China’s middle class. How can the middle class of the world’s #2 nation by nominal GDP be… emerging? The answer is straightforward and lies in simply understanding what the Gross Domestic Product actually measures. Without going into
04
Jun
Jun
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Demographic Trends in China Over (Almost) Half a Century
Over the past let’s say 40 years, much like most of the other aspects associated with China, there have been quite a few noteworthy developments when it comes to demographic trends, with implications when it comes to anything from education and family consumption habits to tourism and the pension system. In the 60s, China’s birth