In 2023, the average price of real estate in China was approximately ****** yuan per square meter, representing a decrease from the previous year. Rising prices in the real estate market Since the 1998 housing reform, property prices in China have been rising continuously. Housing in the country is now often unaffordable, especially considering the modest per capita income of Chinese households. Shanghai and Beijing even have some of the most competitive real estate markets in the world. The rapid growth in housing prices has increased wealth among homeowners, while it also led to a culture of speculation among buyers and real estate developers. Housing was treated as investments, with owners expecting the prices to grow further every year. Risk factors The expectation of a steadily growing real estate market has created a property bubble and a potential debt crisis. As Chinese real estate giants, such as China Evergrande and Country Garden, operate by continuously acquiring land plots and initiating new projects, which often require substantial loans and investments, a slowdown in property demands or a decline in home prices can significantly affect the financial situation of these companies, putting China’s banks in a vulnerable position. In addition, due to a lack of regulations and monetary constraints, the long-term maintenance issues of high-rise apartments are also a concern to the sustainable development of China’s cities.

In 2024, the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of Beijing municipality amounted to around ******* yuan, up from ******* yuan in 2015. Beijing is the capital city of China and after Shanghai the second largest city in the country. Per capita GDP development in Beijing Beijing saw an amazingly steady development of per capita GDP over the last decades, with nominal figures roughly doubling over the last ten years and exceeding ****** U.S. dollars for the first time in 2017. When compared on a national provincial and municipal level, Beijing displays the highest per capita GDP figures in China. From a city perspective, only very few Chinese cities indicate per capita GDP values on a comparable or higher level. Compared to other countries in the Asian Pacific region, Beijing’s per capita GDP is in the middle field and still considerably lower than the national average in developed East Asian countries. People’s income situation in Beijing As with per capita GDP, disposable income per person living in Beijing improved steadily over time. Real growth rates of disposable income slowed down in recent years but still indicated a robust positive development. Although overall consumer price inflation was consistently low in Beijing, prices for housing, child-related services, and eating out exploded over the years, leaving the impression for many lower income families that life in Beijing is no longer affordable.