A Social Study in Ibn Khaldoun Journal Examines Changing Perceptions of Financial Independence and Early Retirement Among Chinese Youth Amid Economic Slowdown
The Ibn Khaldoun Journal for Studies and Researches has published in its latest issue a peer-reviewed scientific study entitled: “Changing Perceptions of Youth Toward Financial Independence and Early Retirement (FIRE) During the Economic Slowdown Period in China”, authored by Hidaki Oyama, a PhD researcher at the School of History, Nanjing University, China, and Dr. Khadija Allali from Abdelmalek Essaâdi University in Tetouan and King Fahd School of Translation in Tangier, Morocco.
The study examined the transformations that have affected the concept of Financial Independence and Early Retirement (FIRE) among Chinese youth during a period of economic slowdown, in light of the spread of several emerging social trends, including the “lying flat” culture, low-desire lifestyles, and the tendency toward reducing dependence on the labor market.
The research relied on participant observations collected by the author over nearly one year within small online communities on the Soul application, in addition to comparisons with the Hurun Wealth Report 2024 and statistical data related to consumption, employment, and demographic dynamics in China.
The study revealed that the concept of financial independence and early retirement among Chinese youth differs from the traditional Western model, which is based on achieving high income, accumulating investment capital, and retiring early through investment returns. Instead, FIRE has increasingly become viewed as a defensive life strategy based on reducing expenses, avoiding housing and employment pressures, and maintaining life stability amid economic uncertainty.
The study also demonstrated that young people’s understanding of freedom is shifting from a form of freedom associated with consumption and improving living standards toward a defensive form of freedom aimed at avoiding growing pressures related to employment, housing costs, marriage, child-rearing responsibilities, and urban living expenses.
The study concluded that the changing perception of financial independence and early retirement is not merely a limited youth subculture or a temporary social trend, but rather reflects a broader transformation in lifestyle design and individual choices under an economic model experiencing slowdown and profound social changes.
The publication of this study reflects the Ibn Khaldoun Journal for Studies and Researches’ interest in contemporary social studies that examine transformations in lifestyles and economic and cultural awareness across different societies, while providing scientific analyses of emerging phenomena associated with global changes.
The full study is available through the following DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56989/benkj.v6i7.1973