sandwich class

sandwich class

English

Etymology

Originated in the 1980s, from the perception of being "sandwiched" (or "squeezed") between the lower and upper classes.[1]

Noun

sandwich class (plural sandwich classes)

1. (Singapore, Hong Kong, informal) The middle class; specifically those who are too wealthy to qualify for welfare schemes but not rich enough to afford non-subsidized housing, access further opportunities or maintain lifestyle expectations.
   • 2003 August 29, Kui-Wai Li, Capitalist Development and Economism in East Asia: The Rise of Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea, Routledge, →ISBN:

     Although the conditions were generally poor, the rent was extremely low. In the 1970s, for example, the Home Ownership Scheme was introduced to help the middle-income group (sometimes called the "sandwich class").

   • 2005 November 1, Joseph Y. S. CHENG, The July 1 Protest Rally: Interpreting a Historic Event, City University of HK Press, →ISBN, page 341:

     He proposed a new middle-class housing scheme to make it easier for the "sandwich class" to buy their own home.

   • 2021 August 17, “All 66 Completed Executive Condos (ECs) in Singapore and Where You Can Find Them (Prices Included)”, in Yahoo Finance‎:

     Designed for the ‘sandwich class’ of Singaporeans, ECs are developed and sold by private developers, yet they are classified as public housing. They offer their first batch of buyers the chance to enjoy condo-style facilities like swimming pools at a subsidised price.

Translations

Translations

Chinese: Cantonese: 夾心階層 (gaap3 sam1 gaai1 cang4)

References

1. “sandwich class, n.” under “sandwich, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, September 2016; “sandwich class, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.