Consumption and living standards in China

The quality of life in China has not improved much since 1978, in spite of an at least 100% improvement in the standard of life. Apparently, the rise in the standard of living which accompanied the 7% per annum rise in real per capita consumption charted since 1978 was not evenly spread among the population. As a result, even as the goods and services available to consumers expanded, the average citizen remained burdened by both economic and social problems, including higher incidence of rural poverty and inaccessibility of education and medical care.