Quality of life standards for the entire population in China have been a relatively recent and hard-won phenomenon. The most concrete evidence of improved standards is the dramatic increase in average national life expectancy, rising from around 32 years in 1949 to nearly 73 years now.

The standard of living in China has increased dramatically since China began to implement free-market economic reforms in the late 1970s. Today, Chinese purchasing power is in the top half of all countries and only 10 percent of China’s population lives below its poverty line, which is less than many industrialized countries.

This is just a sample of what you'll find in the complete China guide.