China May Surpass Japan as World’s Second-Most Wealthy by 2017

China may become the world’s wealthiest country by household assets after the U.S. in five years as the nation’s middle-class consumers grow richer, Credit Suisse Group AG forecast.

The nation will add $18 trillion in household wealth by 2017, taking its total to $38 trillion, according to the bank’s global wealth report today. That would surpass Japan’s $35 trillion, and be less than half of the U.S.’s $89 trillion.