Women who were born in the 1980s and 1990s are now the main drivers of consumption in China’s first- and second-tier cities, according to a newly released report on consumption trends among female consumers in China.

The number of women belonging to the post-80s and -90s generations in first- and second-tier cities has grown during recent years, as has their per capita consumption, noted CBNData, a Shanghai-based research and marketing center, in the report based on data collected from over 601 million consumers.

The report shows that female consumers under the age of 40 spent heavily during public holidays and shopping festivals, with per capita withdrawals of over 10,000 yuan.

Among the respondents, those in the post-90s category were more interested in money management, and invested more on internet platforms compared with those in the post-80s generation, according to the report.

Post-90s female consumers spent more money on career-related books and skin care products each year, and an increasing number of them are now splurging on luxury products, especially products from Europe, the US and Japan.

Unmarried women between the ages of 30 and 40 preferred to spend money on products such as electronic beauty gadgets and overseas travel.

On the contrary, married respondents in the same age bracket showed a clear trend of buying family products. This includes imported mother and baby care products, milk powder and supplements.

Additionally, married females were more willing to take risks in investment for higher profits than their unmarried counterparts.