Chinese consumption: increase in Soshoku group "Lie down tribe" - Communist Party also feels a crisis

Recently Nihon Keizai Shimbun Electronic Edition reported the following:

中国消費、草食系「寝そべり族」増加　共産党も危機感

中国・台湾

2021年6月16日 11:50 (2021年6月16日 19:11更新) [有料会員限定]

【北京=川手伊織】中国国家統計局が16日発表した5月の小売売上高は前年同月比12%増えた。新型コロナウイルスで落ち込んだ前年の反動が大きく、飲食店収入や家電販売はなお伸び悩む。「寝そべり族」と呼ばれる消費意欲が低い若者が増えていることも一因で、中国共産党も危機感を募らせている。

小売売上高は2019年5月を9%上回った。ガソリンなど燃料価格の上昇で支出額を押し上げたとみられる。宝飾品などの高額品は堅調だが、消費者の根強い節約志向が垣間見えた。

飲食店収入の伸び率は2年前との比較で3%弱にとどまった。前年同月比9%増えていたコロナ前の水準には遠い。家電や音響機器は3%と4月から伸びが鈍った。みずほリサーチ&テクノロジーズの玉井芳野氏が季節の変動をならした分析をしたところ、自動車や通信機器も落ち込んだ。

サービス消費も勢いを欠く。中国文化観光省によると、5月初旬の大型連休の旅行者数は19年の同時期を3%上回ったが、1人あたりの旅行消費額は25%下回った。6月12～14日の3連休も客足はほぼ元通りだが、消費額は2年前の8割弱にとどまった。

中国人民銀行（中央銀行）が1～3月に実施した預金者へのアンケート調査では、「消費に回すお金を増やす」との回答は22.3%だった。19年までは30%弱で推移したが、新型コロナがまん延した後は22～23%に低下している。

消費意欲が高まらないのは雇用・所得の持ち直しが一向に加速しないためだ。5月の都市部の新規雇用は2年前を下回った。21年に入ってから、19年同月水準を上回ったのは4月だけだ。資源高が中小企業の収益を圧迫するなか、好調な輸出などの恩恵が家計に行き渡らない。

若者の消費意欲の低さも指摘される。「寝そべり族」とも呼ばれ、必要最低限の生活さえ送れればいいという、草食系の若者だ。就職難や住宅価格高騰で将来への不安をかき立てられる。企業や大学の成果至上主義に嫌気が差し、殻にこもる。これまでの世代より消費意欲も低い。

共産党政権は危機感を募らせる。党青年組織の共産主義青年団機関紙、中国青年報は「快適な環境に隠れていても、成功は決して天から降ってこない」との論文を掲載した。ネット上では「人に努力だけさせて、より豊かな生活を保障できないことが無責任だ」と当局を批判する書き込みも多い。

Translation

[Beijing = Iori Kawate] Retail sales in May as announced by the National Bureau of Statistics of China increased by 12% from the same month of the previous year. The recoil from the previous year that saw a depression due to the new coronavirus was huge, and restaurant revenue and home appliance sales were still sluggish. The Chinese Communist Party was also raising a sense of crisis, partly because the number of young people with low consumer motivation being called the "Lie down tribes" was increasing.

Retail sales were 9% higher than in May 2019. Rising fuel prices, such as gasoline, were believed to have boosted spending. High-priced items such as jewelry were strong, but there was a glimpse of consumers' persistent desire to save money.

The growth rate of restaurant revenue was just under 3% compared to two years ago. It was far from the level before the Corona which had increased by 9% from the same month of the previous year. Sales of home appliances and audio equipment slowed to 3% from April. When Mr. Yoshino Tamai of Mizuho Research & Research Institute conducted an analysis that smoothed out seasonal fluctuations, automobiles and communication equipment also fell.

Service consumption also lacked momentum. According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, the number of tourists during the Golden Week holidays in early May was 3% higher than the same period in 2019, but the per capita travel consumption was 25% lower. The number of customers during the three consecutive holidays from June 12 to 14 was almost the same, but the amount of consumption was less than 80% of two years ago.

In a questionnaire survey on depositors conducted by the People's Bank of China (Central Bank) from January to March, 22.3% answered the enquiry.  Those who would "increase the amount of money on consumption" remained at just under 30% until 2019, but had fallen to 22-23% after the spread of the new corona.

The reason why consumer confidence did not increase was that the recovery in employment and income did not increase at all. New jobs in urban areas in May fell below two years ago. Since the beginning of 2021, April was the only time that had exceeded the same month level in 2019. While high resource prices put pressure on the profits of small and medium-sized enterprises, benefits such as strong exports did not reach households.

The low intention to consumer among the young people had also been pointed out. They were even called the " Lie down tribe ", they were the young people in the Soshoku group who only lived their life with the minimum need. Their anxiety about the future were aroused by the difficulties in finding employment and soaring house prices. Disgusted by the principle of supremacy of achievements of companies and universities, they shut up themselves in their shells. Consumer motivation was lower than those in previous generations.

This caused a sense of crisis in the Communist Party administration. The Communist Youth League newspaper the China Youth Daily, as a party youth organization published a treatise saying, "As long as you hide in a comfortable environment, success never falls from heaven." There were many comments on the Internet criticizing the authorities in saying that, "It is irresponsible just to let people make efforts and not to guarantee a richer life."

              So, the low intention to consume among some young people has been pointed out. Their anxiety about the future were caused by the difficulties in finding employment and soaring house prices. They shut up themselves and could cause a social problem that the Chinese government has to resolve.

Notes:

a. 草食(系)男子, Soshoku(group) male, is a term used in Japan to describe young men who express little interest in getting married or being assertive in relationships with women. (https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%8D%89%E9%A3%9F%E7%B3%BB)

b. 「寝そべり」族, “Lie Flat" tribe, is a term to mean those people who lie down. It is now the latest buzzword in China. They lie down and ask for nothing. They don't buy apartments or cars, they don't get married, and they don't consume. (https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/16ca829044d92f9efeae24910c49512325f4405e)