Rural China ageing faster than urban areas as proportion of over-60s continues to grow

The proportion of over-60s in the population has risen from 10.3 per cent to 18.7 per cent over two decades, a trend that accelerated in recent years

The problem is likely to be one of the country’s greatest challenges, especially as birth rates continue to fall

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More services will be needed to meet the needs of China’s ageing population. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 7:00pm, 16 Oct 2021Updated: 11:01pm, 16 Oct 2021

The rate of ageing in China has accelerated significantly over the past decade with the problem most pronounced in rural areas, according to a new government report.

The problem is likely to be the one of the most serious crises facing China as demographers say current policies will not be able to arrest the trend.

The 2020 China Ageing Development Bulletin, released by the National Health Commission, said the number of those aged over 60, the mandatory retirement age, stood at 264 million in November last year – or 18.7 per cent of the total population.

In 2010, this figure stood at 178 million, or 13.3 per cent of the population, while in 2000 it was 130 million, or 10.3 per cent of the population.

There has also been a rise in the number of over-65s. In 16 of the 31 mainland provinces, the number of people aged 65 and over exceeded 5 million, with six provinces having more than 10 million people aged 65 and over.

The problem of ageing is more pronounced in the countryside, with over-60s accounting for 23.8 per cent of the rural population, compared with 15.8 per cent in cities. This eight-point gap is significantly wider than the 4.3-point one recorded in 2015.

However, the bulletin also indicates that public investment and expenditure on ageing is still far from sufficient.