This article analyses developments in Chinese living standards with special focus on urban-rural inequalities. The analysis and discussion target the rapid economic lift, accompanied by inequalities and the risk of revolution of rising expectations in the last three decades. Although this economic lift brings China from one of the poorest countries in the world to the second largest economy globally, many are also concerned about social instability as a result of increasing inequalities and social gaps. We have examined existing data, including international statistics and Chinese national sources. It shows that average Chinese citizens, in general, have enjoyed improvements in their living standard, but an increasing gap in per capita disposable income between urban and rural residents is observable. The discussion section connects to results from secondary surveys. The conclusion is that conditions for feelings of relative deprivation are diminutive and so is the risk of a forthcoming revolution of rising expectations in China.

本論文分析中國人民生活水平的發展，特別是當中的城鄉不平等。分析與討論針對在過去30年的經濟快速增長期間，伴隨著的不平等，及不停上升的期望而造成革命的風險。雖然經濟快速增長使中國由其中一個最為貧窮的國家成為世界上第二大經濟體，但很多人關心其國內不平等與社會差距的增加而造成社會不穩定的結果。我們考究現有的數據，包括國際性統計數據及中國全國性數據，顯示普遍中國公民一般都享受生活水平的改善，但城鎮與農村居民的個人可支配收入差距的增加亦是可見的。文章討論部份從第二手調查連結到結果。總結部份指出相對剝奪感的情況是微小的，不斷上升的期望導致在中國產生即將到來的革命的風險亦同樣為低。

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