Shanghai wives hold the purse strings

Shanghai wives have more power in managing their family wealth, research has found.

Almost 42 percent of families in China have their assets managed by both husbands and wives. However, wives in Shanghai seem to have a stronger say in family finances.

More than 40 percent of families in Shanghai have their family wealth managed by wives, which is higher than the country's average of 38.4 percent, according to Horizon Research Consultancy Group.

The global market research company polled 2,346 women and 270 men online nationwide between October and January. It showed women now have a leading position in managing family income.

Married women have more responsibilities in family life, the report said.

"The point of controlling family income is to maintain stability, as women tend to feel insecure after being married, like worrying about their husbands having affairs," said a 28-year-old woman, who works for a foreign-funded IT company in Dalian, Liaoning province. She refused to give her name.

She said she and her husband share a bank account. They deposit their salaries into the account every month and discuss how to use it together.

Though Shanghai women are traditionally thought of as having a stronger role than their husbands in family finances, Chen Xiaoshu, 27, a Shanghai book editor, has a different idea.

"It's always my father who takes care of the family savings and spending. He is an accountant, and it works well. My parents get along well. So I don't think a stable marriage has anything to do with money," she said.

But some sociologists do not agree with the survey's results.

We recommend:
Export woes need for change in trade structure	Sweet smell of profit if it's an Internet domain	Sina seeks new revenues while battling WeChat
China Mobile expands 4G trials to Zhejiang	Robot pavilion opens to public at Taipei	Ministry acts on dairy safety