Recently, the China Finance 40 Forum released a thought-provoking research report. This report analyzes and compares the consumption levels of China with those of the United States, Japan, Germany, France, and Mexico from the perspective of physical consumption volume, and draws a surprising conclusion: China's actual consumption level may be severely underestimated.

The report points out that traditional methods of measuring consumption levels may have systematic biases, leading to misjudgments of China's consumption capacity. By comparing multiple key indicators, the study found that China has approached or exceeded some developed countries in many aspects:

First, China's per capita protein intake has exceeded that of comparable countries, reflecting a significant improvement in the dietary structure of its citizens. Second, although there is still a gap in per capita car ownership compared to developed countries, this gap is not as large as one might think. It is also worth noting that China has basically caught up with these countries in terms of years of education per capita, showcasing tremendous progress in education accessibility.

In terms of the important indicator of life expectancy, China not only surpasses the United States and Mexico, but is also approaching the levels of France and Germany, highlighting the significant effectiveness of its public health and medical system.

The conclusion drawn from the research report is thought-provoking: China's actual per capita consumption level may be much higher than what is currently reflected in the statistical figures. Specifically, China's consumption level has reached 40%-50% of major developed countries such as Japan, Germany, France, and the United States, rather than the previously commonly believed 20%-30%. In other words, China's actual consumption capacity may be about twice as high as the current statistics indicate.

This report provides us with a new perspective to examine China's economic development achievements. It not only challenges traditional methods of measuring consumption levels but also offers valuable references for understanding the true state of China's economy. However, we should also recognize that, despite significant progress in certain areas, there is still a long way to go in terms of overall economic development and improving the living standards of the people.

In the future, how to more accurately measure and assess a country's consumption level, as well as how to formulate more targeted economic policies based on this, will become an important issue that economists and policymakers need to explore in depth.