Middle class in big cities feels least happiness

BEIJING - Middle class families in the most prosperous regions in China are finding the least happiness in life because of the high stress of daily life, a survey has found.

Despite good health, better education and higher incomes, the middle class is discovering that economic pressures and little time to spend with family members are major sources of annoyance, according to a recent survey by insurance company Manulife-Sinochem.

"The middle class is a 'sandwiched class', being worse off than some and better off than many," said Yan Ye, a professor with the North China Institute of Science and Technology.