More and more of China's citizens not getting happier

More and more of China's citizens feel they're not getting happier. That's according to a recent survey by the Chinese Academy of Social Science, or CASS. The study reveals factors affecting quality of life including the widening gap between rich and poor that is constantly growing, as well as cut-throat competition among young graduates entering the job market.

How happy are you?

In a nationwide survey on a question that concerns virtually everyone, results show many Chinese people feel their quality of life is being compromised ...

Asked to rate their happiness level on a scale of one to five, with one being extremely unhappy, and five extremely happy, the interviewees scored an average of 3.39, 6 percent lower than the mark registered in 2009.

Those living in second- and third-tier cities are among the most discontented, followed by residents of the countryside, and those living in major urban areas.

Professor Tao Wenzhao, Chinese Academy of Social Science, said,"The major reason I think is the rising of CPI, the inflation. The CPI increase reached 5.1 percent last month, the highest in 28 months. Low-income groups spend as much as 50 percent on daily necessities. That's what made them unhappy."

It's not just daily necessities. Sky-rocketing real estate prices also frustrate many people.

The survey finds that, compared to 2009's 25 percent increase, the housing price hike could be held to 15 percent this year. What that means is, with their current wages, 85 percent of Chinese families still can't afford to buy a house. But it also means 15 percent can ... a case illustrated by another issue covered in the survey -- the widening gap between the rich and the poor.

The paper also points out the conundrum facing a different group of people critical to the country's future -- college graduates.

CCTV reporter Wang Guan said, "Latest statistics show in 2009, the salary of a college graduate was 4 times more than the national average. But now, a university education can only help them earn barely twice as much as those who didn't go to college. And the starting salaries of college grads are even dwarfed by some of the country's migrant workers."

This is a cold and cruel reversal.

China's old migrant class, mostly uneducated villagers flocking to factories to make goods for export, are now in high demand ... with labor shortages and tighter government oversight driving up blue collar wages.

But the supply of those trained in accounting, finance, and computer programming now seems endless, and their value has consequently plunged.

Professor Tao Wenzhao said, "They are just different. College graduates wouldn't go to construction sites for example. They should have realistic goals. They shouldn't only think about staying in big cities like Beijing or Shanghai. China is huge geographically. Smaller cities are developing too."

Finally, the paper says another factor making people less happy is the difficulty involved in going to a hospital if they get sick. Now 90 percent of Chinese citizens are covered by some sort of social safety programs, but a long list of preconditions means a considerable number of their medial expenditures can't be reimbursed. And some people complain it's hard to get an appointment with doctors at major hospitals in big cities.