The New York Times says that a growing affluence among Chinese people has brought cosmetic and plastic surgery in fashion.

The Times reported that a high-ranking Chinese health ministry official said that plastic surgery has become the fourth most popular way to spend discretionary income in China.

The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery estimated in 2009 that China ranked third, only following the United States and Brazil, with more than two million cosmetic operations conducted annually.

The New York Times also reported that the Chinese health official said that Chinese people account for 30 percent of cosmetic surgery patients in Seoul.