"An effective approach to reduce the inequality and to boost consumption is to shift government spending priorities away from massive infrastructure development -- roads, railroads and airports -- and toward social welfare investment, " said Professor Gan Li, director of the China Household Finance Survey.

CNN: New leaders face China's wealth divide

Only 22% of families who have invested in stocks have made a profit overall, while 56% have lost money and 22% have broken even, according to a 2012 household-finance survey by the People's Bank of China.

WSJ: The People's Money: Why Chinese Stocks Are Alluring