Survey: China's wealthy look to borrow money

Almost a third of affluent Chinese are looking to borrow money, up from 19% in 2004, according to a new survey by consultancy McKinsey cited in the Financial Times. McKinsey classifies those in China who earn more than US$50,000 per year as "affluent." As many as 2 million people now qualify for this category, and it is estimated the number is growing by about 15% a year. Just over half the respondents in the survey said they would be willing to pay for financial advice, up from 40% in 2004, and well above the Asian average of 31%. McKinsey said the jump in borrowing demand from 19% to 31% was the most surprising element as, nationwide, China's borrowing demand is reasonably flat, climbing to 21% this year from 19% in 2004. The country's overall bankable population is about 130 million households, equivalent to 70% of the urban population.