China’s population is ageing rapidly, but is it ready to care for the elderly?
- In 2020, 36.6 million Chinese were aged over 80, but that figure is expected to rise to 159 million by 2050, says Chinese economist Ren Zeping
- Elderly care centres are on the frontline of China’s demographic crisis, but many are struggling financially and short of skilled carers
Young entrepreneur Chen Yingbing thought she had settled on a winning business model caring for China’s fast-ageing population.
But not long after opening her high-end elderly care centre in the northern city of Tianjin, she encountered a major problem: the coronavirus pandemic.
Under China’s hardline zero-Covid rules, elderly care homes were sealed off to prevent outbreaks and even nursing staff could not move about freely.
“The elderly could not freely come and go, they needed to be tested when they came back from hospital and their families were not allowed to visit. As a result, the elderly clientele decreased a lot,” said 35-year-old Chen, whose care centre currently has a 30 per cent occupancy rate.
While Tianjin’s rent waiver for elderly care homes has relieved some pressure, she is now grappling with a shortage of young nursing staff.
“A 50-year-old carer is already considered young here, and more are close to 60,” she said. “The chances of young people choosing this profession are not high as it means a lot of hardship.”