chinese household food spending and income until the 1980s households devoted more than half of their expen ditures to reflecting both central importance in culture historic vulnerability population inse curity dominance budgets has diminished as grown following familiar engel s law but remains single largest item share declined under 40 percent for urban about 45 rural incomes china when converted us dollars at official exchange rate seem low average top 10 4 5 all is just 2 641 per person 7 000 still quite by standards table 1 most had capita less year 2003 middle 20 averaging 880 was 275 an amount that included imputed value self produced
