Comparative analysis of the structural transformation of consumption in Russia and China

RUDN Journal of Sociology. 2025. Vol. 25. No. 3. P. 565–579.

Kozyreva P. M., Zhu D., Smirnov A. I.

The article is based on the results of the joint Russian Chinese research project. The authors use sociological and statistical data to consider the specifics of the structural shifts in the population’s consumption, which occurred under modernization in Russia and China. During the last thirty years, given an increase in population’s income and expenses, the proportion of household spending on food has decreased, but in China this decrease was more intensive and steady. Both countries show a considerable increase in the consumption of services. In China, the main focal point is a gradual transition from consuming to survive towards consuming for development (household spending on education, travel, leisure, household appliances, communication services and transportation), while in Russia the authors focus on the increasing demand for recreational services (spending on healthcare, fitness-wellness, entertainment, educational, tourism) that improve a family’s quality of life. However, despite positive trends, household consumption structure in both countries is still not on par with today’s demands. Moreover, in recent years, a point of particular concern for China has become high spending on housing and low demand for services in culture and leisure, while in Russia a recent decrease in purchasing power among the impoverished and the middle class has raised concerns. In both countries, there is a significant discrepancy in consumption between different income groups, urban and rural areas. The authors emphasize that the growing consumption in Russia and China is also determined by new trends in the development of information-communication technologies and the formation of a digital economy.

Keywords: модернизация, modernization, уровень жизни, living standards, структура потребления, consumption structure, цифровое потребление, расходы домохозяйств, digital consumption, inequality in consumption, consumption in Russia and China, household expenses, неравенство в потреблении, потребление в России и Китае

Publication based on the results of: Monitoring the socio-economic conditions of households in Russia, 1994-2026 (2027)