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> The China envisioned in Made in China 2025 already has access to a large population of consumers: the Chinese population. Not for long. The Chinese populatio

> The China envisioned in Made in China 2025 already has access to a large population of consumers: the Chinese population. Not for long. The Chinese population is aging incredibly rapidly. Younger Chinese who could contribute to a stable consumer base will instead be crushed attempting to support the accelerating number in older generations retiring.

monocasa 5y ago
Older Chinese are still consumers, they'll bog down younger Chinese no more than US consumers will. It's not like US consumers are providing anything other than capital and a market as it stands. And a transition to higher end products and associated manufacturing means less low end workers (and less workers overall) needed to make that happen.
- nyokodo 5y ago
  > Older Chinese are still consumers, they'll bog down younger Chinese no more than US consumers will. On average people consume less and save more as they age. After retirement saving dries up and consumption takes a dive. After people turn 80 their activity falls off a cliff and they hardly spend anything. Their major costs are healthcare related but that’s a financial burden not a consumption boost for most societies including China.
  - monocasa 5y ago
    I'm not sure that the idea that their population is aging follows the data. Their population age bubbles are younger than the US's. Their two bubbles are what are our older gen x and middle of the road millennials. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1101677/population-distribution-by-detailed-age-group-in-china/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/1101677/population-distr... Additionally, they have a different retirement system that doesn't dry up for individuals the same way. If it's important for China that older citizens continue being consumers, they'll make that happen.
    - sudosysgen 5y ago
      Also, they have a large rural population that is unused and not very productive. Using that population can more than make up for aging workers.

monocasa 5y ago

Older Chinese are still consumers, they'll bog down younger Chinese no more than US consumers will. It's not like US consumers are providing anything other than capital and a market as it stands. And a transition to higher end products and associated manufacturing means less low end workers (and less workers overall) needed to make that happen.

nyokodo 5y ago
> Older Chinese are still consumers, they'll bog down younger Chinese no more than US consumers will. On average people consume less and save more as they age. After retirement saving dries up and consumption takes a dive. After people turn 80 their activity falls off a cliff and they hardly spend anything. Their major costs are healthcare related but that’s a financial burden not a consumption boost for most societies including China.
- monocasa 5y ago
  I'm not sure that the idea that their population is aging follows the data. Their population age bubbles are younger than the US's. Their two bubbles are what are our older gen x and middle of the road millennials. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1101677/population-distribution-by-detailed-age-group-in-china/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/1101677/population-distr... Additionally, they have a different retirement system that doesn't dry up for individuals the same way. If it's important for China that older citizens continue being consumers, they'll make that happen.
  - sudosysgen 5y ago
    Also, they have a large rural population that is unused and not very productive. Using that population can more than make up for aging workers.