Understanding Chinese new generation

Unprecedented economic opportunities and growing pressure mean China’s millenials stand apart from previous generations.

Exhibition centers aren’t obvious places you might go when looking to take the pulse of a nation’s youth, but in Shanghai, Yo hood street fashion trade show was the perfect place to be to understand the new cultural and economic power of China’s millennial generation.

As attendees browsed through internationally renowed brands such as Hood By Air, Nike and Converse, they could purchase items via Yoho!1s app as they walked along.
In so doing these young people were showcasing China’s millenials penchant for exploring their myriad tastes and interests, often in way previously unimaginable to their parents and grandparents..20 yeas ago, Yo`hood would have been unthinkable.

Yet this is an increasingly complex demographic, who as well as enjoying the fruits of China`s reform and opening up also beset by all manner of societal and economic pressures, making them arguably much more different from their parents than their Western counterparts are from theirs.

Millennials are divided in two categories: born post 80s and post 90s. The differences because an increased internet access and a booming economy are affect a different mentality between them.
Someone born in 1995 was born into an economy more than twice the size of someone born in 1985. (34% had internet access Vs 2%)
Therefore post 90s are much more evolved in their individuality. And therefore tend to be more open-minded, rebellious, individualistic and willing to challenge authority.
It means, freedom. Outbound tourism has increased massively in recent years, with millennials being a key driver.
According to Merril Lynch report, by 2019,25-34 years olds are expected to make yp 35% of China’s tourists, the largest segment. And millennials are increasingly heading overseas to study.

459.000 people went to study abroad in 2014

It is an annual increase of 11,1% according to the Ministry of Education.

It is definitely fair to say Chinese millennials are generally more demanding and have higher expectations than their parents. It is said: “our generation focuses more on concepts like individuality and freedom”