World Economics - Insight , Analysis and Data

World Economics - Insight , Analysis and Data
Why is the Chinese Saving Rate so High?
Guonan Ma and Wang Yi, World Economics, March 2011
China’s saving rate is high from many perspectives – historical experience, international standards and model predictions. Furthermore, the average saving rate has been rising over time, with much of the increase taking place in the 2000s. What sets China apart from the rest of the world is that its rising aggregate saving has reflected high savings rates in all three sectors: corporate, household and government. Our evidence casts doubt on the proposition that distortions and subsidies account for China’s high saving rate. Instead, we argue that tough corporate restructuring (including pension and home ownership reforms), a marked Lewismodel transformation process (where the average wage exceeds the marginal product of labour in the subsistence sector) and rapid ageing process have all played more important roles. Such structural factors suggest that the Chinese saving rate may peak over the coming years.

Related thinking:
    The Great Depression, the Great Recession and the Next Crisis
Chong-Yah Lim and Dr Hui-Ying Sng, World Economics, September 2011
    Global Financial Crisis, Protectionism and Current Account Deficit
Peter Draper, Andreas Freytag and Sebastian Voll, World Economics, June 2011
    On Economic Growth and Domestic Saving in India
Tarlok Singh, World Economics, March 2011


Download paper


© Copyright Economic & Financial Publishing 2013