Rising personal incomes, falling levels of absolute poverty and improved quality of life are leading to the growth of the middle class around the world, a phenomenon that is particularly noticeable in Asia.

According to the OECD, people with a daily income between 10 and 100 USD are considered to be middle class. The rise of a new middle class opens up new business opportunities and implies a reorganization of world trade to respond to higher levels of consumption coupled with increasingly more qualified demands. This situation reflects opportunities, but also challenges, especially due to the pressure it generates on natural resources, as well as the differentiated understanding that must be developed around consumption patterns in different latitudes.