India projected to surpass China in affluent consumers by 2036 : Report
A report by NielsenIQ and World Data Lab projects that India will have 10.8 crore affluent consumers by 2036, slightly surpassing China. The study defines affluent consumers as individuals spending over $90 per day, highlighting India's potential as a major volume growth market.
Why it matters
This projection signals a significant shift in global consumer spending power toward South Asia, influencing long-term corporate investment and market entry strategies.
BENGALURU: India is projected to have 10.8 crore affluent consumers by 2036, marginally surpassing China’s 10.3 crore, according to the latest report by NielsenIQ (NIQ) and World Data Lab.The report defines affluent consumers as people spending more than $90 a day, making it a spending category rather than a measure of income or wealth. India is estimated to have about 2.6 crore affluent consumers in 2026 and is projected to add 8.2 crore over the next decade.China is projected to add 6.2 crore affluent consumers during the same period. Among the countries shown separately in the report, India is expected to record the largest increase.The report also estimates that India has 64.9 crore “core consumers” in 2026, defined as people spending between $13 and $90 a day.
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