One observes a tendency to the increase in the middle class whatever the criterion of membership adopted. With a broad definition of the middle class, the vulnerable group tends to lose of its importance and the heterogeneity of this group increases. On the contrary, the choice of a narrow definition of the middle class limit their character "catches all". Some economists see in this rise of the middle class to spur economic growth of the emergent economies. Others consider that the rise of the middle class comes from the growth and that a virtuous circle could exist between growth and middle class. Within the framework of a controlled globalization, these two theses are erroneous: a redistribution of the incomes in favour of the the most underprivileged sectors can increase the growth.
Middle class; Growth; Globalization; Income inequalities; Internal market
