China’s younger generation is quietly rewriting the country’s economic script. Unlike the consumer-driven youth cultures of earlier decades, today’s urban millennials and Gen Z in China are embracing a lifestyle defined by restraint, not indulgence. They are not the carefree spenders the government hoped would revive domestic demand, but a cohort shaped by caution, insecurity, and the lingering shadow of economic slowdown.

At the heart of this transformation lies anxiety about the future. Many recent graduates face a stark reality: jobs are scarce, salaries are shrinking, and once-dependable sectors like real estate no longer hold the promise of upward mobility. Youth unemployment hovering near 20 per cent has made even the employed wary. For many, saving has become not just a habit but a form of self-preservation. When every yuan counts, frugality becomes a survival skill. This shift has birthed a new digital subculture where minimalism and self-reliance are celebrated. Young........

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