China raises minimum wages amid drive to boost household spending

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by Alice LiJanuary 25, 2026 at 09:00 AM

AI Summary

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China has seen a surge in provincial governments raising minimum wages, with 27 out of 31 jurisdictions increasing them in the past year, some by double-digit percentages. This increase, the highest in five years, is part of Beijing's plan to boost household spending and stimulate economic growth. The wage hikes primarily target low-wage workers in factories and service roles. Analysts believe that increased income will lead to greater consumption, addressing the issue of weak consumer spending. Hebei province saw the largest increase, raising its minimum wage by 15.6% since the start of 2025.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Yuekai Securities 40% Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security 60% Hebei province 60% Beijing 70% China ×490%

Keywords

minimum wage 100% household spending 80% economic growth 70% income distribution 70% consumption 60% china 60% provincial governments 50% factory workers 50% gdp growth 40%

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Positive

Score: 0.30

Source Transparency

Source

South China Morning Post

Political Lean

Center-Right (0.50)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

China

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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minimum wage household spending economic growth income distribution consumption china provincial governments factory workers gdp growth

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