Hurun Chinese Luxury Consumer Survey 2025

Released on 21 March 2025, the Hurun Chinese Luxury Consumer Survey 2025 includes data on a wide range of consumer preferences from 750 HNWI Chinese. The survey respondents were equally divided between male and female, with an average age of 35. Respondents’ average household net worth was RMB47.5 million, or US$6.55 million. 45% were from first-tier cities, 41% from new first-tier cities, and 14% from second-tier cities

Click here to read the full original report (in Chinese) on the Hurun website. The following translation is a summary, focusing particularly on the parts of the report relating to travel.

21 Years of Chinese HNWI Trends

2025 marks the 21st year that the Hurun Report has conducted their Chinese Luxury Consumer Survey. Looking back at the past two decades, the report notes some significant changes: The average number of vacation days has increased from 18 to 24, and ultra HNWIs had an average of 27 vacation days in 2025. The Maldives, Singapore, and Dubai are now the top luxury travel destinations – surpassing Australia, France, and the US. Golf has been replaced by running as the top sporting activity. Top mobile phone choices have evolved from Nokia to Apple, then to Huawei and Xiaomi. But despite the changes, travel has remained one of the top leisure activities for HNWI Chinese throughout the last 20 years.

While the traditional luxury goods market is currently under pressure, the market for luxury experiences is performing well. The report notes that the market size of high-end services (such as hotels and travel) has grown by 17% year-on-year. Sub-sectors such as cultural and tourism events, high-end hotels, private jets and luxury yachts all show growth potential.

41% of respondents have 30 or more vacation days per year and travel abroad twice a year on average. Only 7.5% have never traveled abroad. On average, respondents spent up to RMB225,000 (US$31,000) on leisure travel in a year. 52% said they planned to increase domestic travel in the coming year, with 48% planning to increase international travel. The report notes that interest in international travel for the coming year increased more than interest in domestic travel.

Although the number of respondents planning to increase spending on travel declined slightly from 2024, travel moved into first place as the category on which HNWI Chinese plan to increase spending, surpassing health and wellness – the top category last year.

Travel remains the first-choice leisure activity for China’s HNWIs, chosen by 14%. This is followed by dining, hot springs, spa, and wine tasting. Dinner parties and going to exhibitions are both new additions to the list of top 10 leisure activities for HNWI Chinese this year.

For the fourth year in a row, the Maldives was the top-ranked overseas destination. France remained in the top three destinations, as it has for the last 20 years of Hurun’s survey, with the exception of 2020 and 2021. Dubai has shown exceptional growth in popularity over the past five years, increasing from 11th place in 2020 with 14%, to 4th in 2025 with 34%. Singapore has also increased its popularity for luxury travel, chosen by 32% this year, compared to just 23% in 2022. It is worth mentioning that Iceland (14%) has become one of the preferred international travel destinations for high net worth individuals, although it is not ranked in the top ten – Iceland ranked 13th this year, after Canada in 11th place and the US in 12th. Ultra-high net worth individuals with assets of more than RMB100 million preferred Switzerland (41%) and the United States (31%) as travel destinations.

As they were 20 years ago, Sanya (in Hainan) and Yunnan Province continue to be the top two choices for luxury travel destinations in China. Hong Kong ranked 3rd, and Macau was in 10th place in this year’s survey.

Historical and cultural travel themes both gained in popularity for HNWI Chinese this year. Short-distance luxury and ocean cruises were added to the list of top travel themes.

35% of respondents said they planned to first send their child overseas to study for university, with 26% saying they would start in high school. The rankings for overseas study destinations remained the same as last year, with the US and UK in the lead. Canada, Germany, and Hong Kong each gained three percentage points over 2024.

99% of survey respondents said they drink alcohol. As in past years, baijiu, wine and whisky continue to be the most popular types of alcoholic drink. Champagne saw the biggest increase, rising to 14% of survey respondents, up from 9% last year.

Sichuan is once again the most popular cuisine among Chinese HNWIs, followed by Cantonese and Hunan cuisines. Japanese is still the most popular foreign cuisine, alongside French and Italian. New categories to make the list this year are fast food (20%) and English-style afternoon tea (15%).

54% of survey respondents exercise between 1-3 times per week, with another 37% saying they exercise nearly every day. Running (12%) and yoga (10%) are the most popular activities, followed by mountain climbing, water sports, and golf (each with 9%).