The term ‘middle class’ has a very different meaning for Americans than it does for Brits |
According to Pew Research, 51% of Americans lived in middle-class households in 2023. In the U.S., “middle class” generally means middle-income households, which Pew defines as “those with an income that is two-thirds to double that of the U.S. median household income, after incomes have been adjusted for household size.”
Generally speaking, Americans think of “middle class” as doing fine financially, but not necessarily well-off. You’re not struggling, but you’re not driving luxury cars and taking fancy vacations each year. You work for your money, and your income allows you to live a reasonably comfortable life.
What does ‘middle class’ mean in the United Kingdom?
That is not what the middle class means in the U.K. In fact, economic classes in the U.K. have dimensions that we don’t even have in the U.S., as explained by an American who lived in London for three years.
The gentleman behind IdeaSoup on YouTube shared that he often got confused because Brits use the term “middle class” very differently.
“I means ‘well-off,’ like kind of wealthy, well-bred, you send your kids to good schools,” he said. “It kind of means ‘bougie.’ Like lawyers are middle class, doctors are middle class, finance people with millions and millions of pounds are middle class in the U.K.”
So basically, middle class for Brits is more like upper class for Americans. Many in the U.S.........