Does it pay to be a communist in China?

China’s communists see themselves as a “vanguard party”, full of dedicated social warriors. Less than 9% of the country’s adult population are members, according to figures released on June 30th. Gaining entry can take years. Even Xi Jinping, the party’s boss, was not admitted until his tenth attempt. Aspiring members are often made to attend ideology classes, take written tests, submit “thought reports”, demonstrate their worthiness through community service and survive an interview by a panel of members. Is it worth the bother?The answer might seem obvious. “Virtually every influential position in China is held by a party member,” as Bruce Dickson of George Washington University has noted. Leaks like the Panama papers have revealed the offshore riches accumulated by the families of party leaders. And Chinese social media will occasionally erupt over indiscreet displays of wealth or privilege by members, like the boss of a PetroChina subsidiary, spotted strolling through a Chengdu shopping district in June holding hands with a fashionable younger employee who was not his wife. Yet changes in the party and the economy may be eroding the material benefits of membership.