The social class that most significantly expanded as a result of industrialization was the middle class, especially the urban bourgeoisie of professionals, managers, and business owners.

Middle class growth

Industrialization created many new non-farming jobs such as merchants, factory managers, clerks, accountants, and other professionals, which led to a rapid increase in the size and importance of the middle class. This group gained more income, education, and political influence, becoming a key consumer base for mass-produced goods.

Related class changes

Alongside the expanding middle class, industrialization also produced a large industrial working class of wage laborers in factories and mines, changing the overall class structure of society. However, when a single class is asked for as the main one that “expanded,” historians most often highlight the growth and prominence of the middle class.