The Rise of the Chinese Consumer : Theory and Evidence

The Rise of the Chinese Consumer China s high GDP growth and rapid urbanisation process involves unprecedented larger numbers of people. Already China s urban population exceeds 450 mn people and the size of the urban population is rising by around 13 mn people per annum (equal to the entire population of Greece). By 2024 China will on current trends have an urban population of 750 mn people larger than that of the US and Europe combined. Yet structural under valuation of the currency disguises the true size of Chinese consumption demand. Currently, China accounts for only 3% of world consumption spending in US$ terms or around 9% of consumption spending in the USA the world s largest economy. In US$ terms China is currently only the world s 7th largest market for global consumer companies. China currently accounts for 40% of world cement demand and 33% of world rice consumption. In addition it is already the world s largest market by units sold for steel, televisions, and mobile phone handsets.