40% Chinese feel happy

On March 2, the official microblog of China Central Television Station (CCTV) Financial Channel issued a report on big data about opportunities, wealth, time and happiness in China in 2015. The data was derived from a survey of 100,000 questionnaires submitted by 100,000 families in 104 cities and 300 counties.

Following are the key findings in the survey.

1. 67.6 percent of Chinese households reported confidence in the security of their 2015 income, down from 75.4 percent in 2014.

2. The survey found that Chinese people are most willing to invest in financial products, and that mutual fund investments are now least favored.

3. Investing has become most popular among young Chinese women, who have surpassed older women in terms of their enthusiasm for investment.

4. 13.6 percent of Chinese people surveyed were entrepreneurs in 2014 and 20.5 percent are preparing to start their own business in 2015.

5. The most popular business sector in 2015 is e-commerce while the least popular one is the manufacturing industry.

6. Urban male "grass roots" – those from lower class or lower-middle class backgrounds who often have only a middle school or vocational school education – are more inclined to start their own businesses than any other demographic group in China.

7. More than 50 percent of Chinese people have less than two hours of leisure time per day.

8. Those who often resort to "phubbing," which describes the habit of snubbing someone in favor of a mobile phone, tend to have lower incomes than others.

9. Residents of Changchun in the province of Jilin have the longest commute in the country.

10. About 40 percent of Chinese people think they live happy lives.

11. Hefei, the capital of Anhui Province, tops this year's list of the Chinese cities with the happiest residents.

12. Chinese people typically named improving air quality as the most important environmental issue to address.