In mainland China, the term “rat people” is becoming a new social label used to describe those who are marginalized by high living costs and intense competition in big cities, and choose to maintain their lives with low desires and low consumption. These individuals are not lazy but disillusioned with traditional work patterns. In interviews with the Epoch Times, two “rat people” showcased the group’s descent and resistance. Another two non-traditional “rat people” revealed the systemic squeezing that creates “rat people”.
“Rat people” is a popular term on Chinese social media in 2025, describing young people living at the bottom of society, experiencing day and night reversals, low energy, lack of social interaction, and feeling powerless and exhausted in life. This state reflects a passive resistance and psychological fatigue in response to high-pressure competition and social issues.
Many young people share on video platforms their lifestyle of hardly going out, not working, and spending their days lying in bed. Topics related to “rat people” have garnered millions of clicks on social media.
In a viral video, a young woman shared her “rat people daily routine”: waking up at 11:20 am, having takeaway at 1:20 pm, continuing to nap at 2 pm, getting bubble tea in the evening, feeding her cat before returning to bed, having dinner, watching dramas, and going back to sleep at 2:30 am.
This lifestyle attitude is seen as an extension of the “lying flat” culture, which is an escape from high-intensity work and societal competition. With China’s declining economy and high youth unemployment rates, more and more young people are choosing to opt-out of the “battle royal” and “lie flat”.
In a small county in Heilongjiang, 40-year-old Mr. Lin is almost entirely disconnected from the outside world. During an interview with the Epoch Times on October 30th, he mentioned that his daily routine consists of facing the computer, typing on the keyboard, and clicking the mouse. He used to be a gamer, earning money to support himself through gaming and saved some money. Hence, he feels justified in “lying flat”.
Mr. Lin, a high school graduate, has never had a formal office job. He mentioned that he is used to spending time alone at home playing games, lying on the couch scrolling through TikTok, watching dramas (anime). Often staying up late playing games until the early morning, then sleeping until noon the next day. “For many years, I stay up late playing games at home, then sleep until waking naturally, eating only once a day.”
Mr. Lin, who graduated from high school, supported himself by playing games but has since accumulated some savings. As he grows older, his body and energy no longer allow him to sustain a high-intensity virtual life. Making money through gaming allows him to choose when to play and rest when tired.
He also shared that he has been through several relationships and a marriage that did not work out, ultimately leading him to live alone. However, he believes that his current lifestyle is the best choice within his capabilities. “Having experienced the hardships of life, love, marriage, and the pressure from parents, I don’t want to suffer and struggle for a lifetime. I am powerless to resist reality and can only passively accept it.”
Mr. Lin’s story represents the side of the “rat people” group characterized by “aging, marginalization, and social isolation”. He is now an “invisible person” in the social system. He mentioned to the Epoch Times that people around him urged him to go out, start a business, remarry, have children, and make contributions to society, which he finds repulsive. “People can live however they want, fantasizing about overnight wealth is the beginning of ruin.”
If Mr. Lin’s choice represents a passive descent, then Mr. Wen, struggling in Guangzhou, represents a conscious detachment after realizing the game rules, actively seeking an alternative path with minimal cost, a “proactive resistance”. He epitomizes the core and struggling part of the “rat people” group.
Born in 1997, Mr. Wen is in the prime of his career but has been unemployed for over a year, feeling resistant towards finding a job.
Mr. Wen told the Epoch Times that his confusion does not stem from low income. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he worked in the fresh produce industry and earned a monthly salary of over ten thousand, not having to work in the afternoons. However, this experience made him completely awaken.
“My boss bought a house in Guangzhou within a month at that time. Since then, I realized that no matter how hard I work, no matter how much I help others work, I will never be able to buy a house in Guangzhou.”
This profound despair, feeling “seriously hurt”, is the fundamental motivation for Mr. Wen to give up the traditional path. He believes that young people aren’t seeking to “lie flat” but are disheartened by the lack of prospects in their work. “It’s a kind of frustration, a real kind of frustration.”
Mr. Wen’s current situation represents a typical “basic survival”. His monthly living expenses (excluding rent) are approximately around 1,000 RMB.
“I am poor, but not completely destitute, maybe because my parents can take care of themselves and don’t need me to support them.” Mr. Wen admitted that he knows if he continues on this path, he will be worthless. He has not dared to tell his parents about his true situation but has set a limit for himself. “How long can my savings sustain me? Not long, maybe three months. If it really doesn’t work out, then I’ll go back to work.”
In his state of confusion, he spends most of his time scrolling through TikTok.
He mentioned that in the future, he might opt for low-threshold online entrepreneurship in the media field, focusing on “starting a business and making money”. Regarding the outcome, he keeps his expectations to the minimum: “I never thought about getting results, I never thought about it. I’ve lowered my expectations, I’m just giving it a try.”
Representing another neglected group are individuals like Mr. Xu from Xuzhou, Jiangsu — burdened with family responsibilities and willing to work hard but facing cruel exploitation in the labor market.
Mr. Xu told the Epoch Times that he worked diligently in the live streaming industry, earning eight to nine thousand RMB per month. However, towards the end of last year, his boss unreasonably slashed his salary, using the excuse of not making money.
“Isn’t that beating a dead horse?” Mr. Xu voluntary resigned, but when looking for new work, he fell into another trap: “Either the salary is low, or my abilities are not at that level. Many jobs offer a salary of two thousand RMB and require a three-month probation period. It doesn’t seem reliable to me.”
For Mr. Xu, who is married, such low wages are unsustainable. “A salary of two thousand or three thousand RMB per month, it’s not enough to eat and drink, how are we supposed to live? We can’t afford it anymore.”
Deeper anxieties stem from his family. He admitted that he and his wife are very anxious, but they dare not have children because the pressure would be greater, and they don’t want their child to suffer.
Ms. Wang is a mother of two in a county in Datong, Shanxi, revealing the dual dilemma of “mortgage” and “parenting”.
She has two daughters, one in kindergarten, the other in primary school, with heavy tuition fees to bear alongside a monthly mortgage of four thousand RMB. However, their household income relies solely on her husband’s meager salary of two thousand RMB.
Due to taking care of her children, Ms. Wang has been unable to work in recent years, leading to a sharp decline in the family’s income, relying entirely on past savings to maintain basic living expenses.
During the interview, Ms. Wang repeatedly expressed, “It’s been too hard to make money these past two years!… Every month, the living expenses aren’t enough.”
She explained that she was able to work after having her first child, so she had some savings. However, after having her second child, she has been unable to work in recent years. Every month, she has had to use up their savings to cover living expenses, depleting most of their savings now.
While Mr. Xu and Ms. Wang do not fit the classic definition of “lying flat” rat people, they represent the systemic pressures that create “rat people”. Whether it’s the solitary “rat people” or the mothers burdened by life, they collectively reveal the helplessness and anxiety of lower-class families in China under economic pressure.