What Income Actually Counts as Middle Class Across Asia?

Asia’s middle class hit 2 billion in 2020 and is projected to balloon to 3.5 billion by 2030—a massive economic shift reshaping the entire region.

But here’s the catch: “middle class” means wildly different things depending on where you are. A comfortable lifestyle in Tokyo requires way different money than in Ho Chi Minh City.

Quick breakdown of annual income thresholds:

• Vietnam: $6,000–$18,000 (Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City higher)
• India: ₹500k–3M ($6k–$34k); major cities need ₹600k–2M
• South Korea: ₩24,000–60,000 annually (one of Asia’s most developed)
• Philippines: $4,800–$24,000
• China: $3,600–$18,250 (but urban centers like Shanghai/Beijing need $28k–$85k due to cost of living)
• Indonesia: IDR 60M–360M ($3,900–$23,400)
• Thailand: ฿200k–1M ($6k–$30k)
• Japan: ¥30k–80k annually (though the middle class is reportedly shrinking, with more entering “working poor” status)

The pattern? Urban areas demand significantly higher incomes. China and South Korea’s middle class earn substantially more than Southeast Asia, reflecting their economic development stage.

India’s middle class alone is expected to hit 800 million by 2030—that’s bigger than most countries’ entire populations.