On May 22, the "Better Life Night" gala, the data release event for the 2025-2026 "Better Life Survey," was successfully held in Beijing. Centered on the core theme of "A Public Sentiment Report on China's Economy," the event unveiled the survey's two decades of core data findings and the latest 2026 report across the dimensions of "confidence, willingness, perception, and evaluation." It provided an in-depth analysis of the most authentic public economic sentiment as seen, felt, and experienced in daily life, offering a panoramic view of the dynamic interplay between China's high-quality economic development and the public's sense of gain, happiness, and security, painting an era with data.
The public's "perceived temperature" of the economy serves as its most vivid "barometer" and sensitive "thermometer." This sentiment is reflected in expectations for income growth, preferences in consumption choices, and is embedded in feelings of happiness and the details of urban living. It represents the most grounded and compelling comprehensive feedback on economic development quality and improvements in people's livelihoods.
The gala, based on two decades of big data on people's livelihoods, precisely captured and deeply interpreted this unique public sentiment report, using numbers to explain the underlying drivers of China's economy.
Multiple key projects and findings were released at the event, providing authoritative data support for understanding public economic sentiment. Cities make life better, and the big data contains a report card for understanding the warmth of Chinese cities. The top five areas of public satisfaction with urban social governance and services are: public security (63.35%), city image (61.14%), parks/green spaces (60.49%), public cultural services (54.94%), and water/air quality (53.01%). "Safe China" not only safeguards the lives of its citizens but has also become a compelling attraction for international tourists. Meanwhile, access to greenery and rich cultural activities continuously enhance people's sense of fulfillment.
Representatives from cities that have left a profound mark on national memory—Chengdu, Harbin, Hefei, Xi'an, Altay, Changzhou, Dongguan, Tianshui, Yiwu, and Rongjiang—showcased through their unique ways that each city possesses its own brilliance, and every form of beauty is distinct.
The "Better Life, New Journey" series of activities was officially launched. Collaborations include the joint release of the "Chinese People's Better Life: Trends, Confidence, and Choices Report" with the National School of Development at Peking University, the co-creation of the 2026 "Better Life Survey: Report on Characteristics and Trends of Chinese Resident Consumption" with the research institute of the broadcaster, and the joint issuance of the 20th-anniversary commemorative stamp sheet for the "Better Life Survey" with China Post Group.
Rising income confidence indicates a warming in public economic sentiment. The gala highlighted a series of core livelihood data for 2025-2026. 53.73% of respondents anticipate steady income growth, reaching a six-year high, with rural residents' income confidence exceeding that of urban residents for the 13th consecutive year. Willingness to invest in wealth management rose to 74.84%, with gold leading investment preferences for the tenth consecutive year. This shift in public attitude towards being more willing to manage finances and invest reflects the most authentic sentiment regarding economic prospects and life security.
Consumption serves as the most direct indicator of public economic sentiment. Changes in consumption choices reflect trends in the pursuit of life quality and personalization. Survey data shows that service-oriented consumption such as tourism (36.41%) and health & wellness (32.47%) remains at the forefront. "Emotional consumption" has emerged as a new growth area, where "heart value" surpasses "cost-performance," reflecting the Chinese public's consumption upgrade logic—shifting "from stockpiling to experiencing" and "from material to spiritual."
Over two decades, public understanding and perception of happiness have continuously deepened. The evolution of the concept of happiness was a core highlight of the gala, outlining the warmest backdrop of the "Better Life Survey." Data shows that 47.67% of the public perceive themselves as happy, an increase of nearly 5 percentage points from the previous year, while 35.85% report a generally stable and moderate life state. Young people aged 18-25 report the highest happiness levels across all age groups. Health (57.18%) has replaced income as the primary factor influencing happiness, and the importance of family relationships has increased by nearly 9 percentage points over eight years. The shift from "income paramountcy" to a foundation of "health, family core, and emotional weight," and from "sole pursuit of wealth" to "seeking happiness inwardly," demonstrates that public perception of happiness has become more diverse, rich, and grounded, affirming that the ultimate goal of economic development is to deliver tangible happiness to the people.
As the world's longest-running and largest survey on public livelihood perceptions, the "Better Life Survey" began in 2006, starting from a 4-gram postcard. For twenty years, it has persistently reached 2 million Chinese households, collecting tens of millions of data points on people's livelihoods, constructing a vivid digital version of a societal panorama. Over these two decades, the survey's data has not only been permanently archived by the National Library of China as a precious national memory but has also been presented at the United Nations, serving as an important window for the world to observe China's socio-economic development.
The "Better Life Night" gala featured numerous highlights, using various program formats centered on the survey data to vividly interpret public economic sentiment, making abstract perceptions tangible and livelihood stories relatable.
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