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China's ageing population

China's ageing population
The latest news, analysis and opinion on China's ageing population. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
A 101-year-old Chinese grandmother shares her longevity secret – she stays up until 2am watching TV and enjoys snacks. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin
Trending in China

China grandma, 101, stays up late to watch TV, enjoys snacks, shares longevity secret

Centenarian captures hearts of many by embracing a ‘reverse lifestyle’ – watching TV until 2am and naturally waking up around 10am.

Trending in China

China son invites violinist to play for terminally ill mum to give her strength

China's population

Baby bust: China births plunge 17% in 2025 to historic low as population shrinks

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US-Venezuela conflict

Opinion | Why the US really wants Venezuela’s oil

To win the geopolitical contest, a country needs ample resources, a self-sustaining production system – and the backing of a wider economic bloc.

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An activist, wearing a cutout mask depicting US President Donald Trump and tied with a rope, kneels next to a container with the words, “My Oil”, in an rally to condemn the US military action in Venezuela, in Seoul, South Korea, on January 5. Photo: Reuters
Artificial intelligence

Tencent seeks cooperation with other AI firms to better serve vulnerable users

Tencent Research Institute looks to build expert data sets for AI models that could broadly benefit the world’s second most populous nation.

China society

Outside In | We are speeding towards a demography of loneliness

The swarming sociability of family life is fading as one-person households and lonely deaths rise. Coping with loneliness is now a life skill.

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China society

Opinion | Without pension reform, China is leaving its rural elderly out in the cold

What looks like a side-effect of ‘coal-to-gas’ heating programmes is really a structural issue: rural pensions are not enough to live on.

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A worker sweeps snow in the town of Zhengding in north China’s Hebei province on January 5, 2020. Photo: Xinhua
Trending in China

China ‘dead or alive’ app allows solo users check in daily, alerts contacts if they miss it

‘Entertaining’ phone app that flirts with taboo notion of death and cost US$140 to develop now valued at US$1.4 million.

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Trending in China

Explainer | How ancient Chinese ‘borrowing longevity’ custom helps to extend lifespan

In ancient China, people believed that fate predetermined lifespan, yet they also thought life expectancy could be borrowed or exchanged.

Chinese culture

For Shanghai’s elderly, dancing ‘makes us feel we still have value’

Shanghai’s elderly are flocking to the city’s dance halls for exercise, socialising and entertainment, with some venues open as early as 6am.

Guests dance at the Shiguang Dance Hall in Shanghai. The city’s dance halls offer retirees vibrant social spaces to exercise and connect. Photo: AFP

Video | China’s elderly search for love

In the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, elderly people gather at a matchmaking corner to search for a partner.

China elderly
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China's population

China eyes childcare overhaul with a law to boost births, fix demographic crisis

Proposed legislation seeks to lower child-rearing costs and standardise services, especially for children under three, to ease the burden on parents.

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Trending in China

Bikini-clad Taiwan ‘bodybuilding grandma’, 72, flaunts toned muscles at competition

Lin’s anti-ageing regimen is simple; she commits first hour of each morning to weight training, focuses on whole foods.

Trending in China

China painter, 87, welcomes son with wife, 37, amid US$280 million theft rumour

Fan has entrusted wife with responsibility of managing all family matters, asserting that others should not interfere in their affairs.

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Renowned Chinese painter Fan Zeng, 87, recently announced the birth of his only son with his wife who is 50 years younger. Photo: SCMP composite/RedNote/Sohu
China's population

China’s fertility push: IVF grants grow, but high costs still deter couples

Local governments are subsidising a portion of expensive treatments, but experts warn that cash handouts will not fix the economic pressure of raising a family.

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With China’s infertility rate estimated at 12 to 15 per cent, assisted reproduction is seen as a potential lever. Photo: AFP
Trending in China

China centenarian food vlogger enjoys diverse cuisines, shares longevity secrets

Elderly grandmother who endured war and poverty early in life says today’s China is ‘hundreds’ of times happier; enjoys TV dramas, news.

China society

Editorial | Silver lining in China’s ageing population shouldn’t be overlooked

Increase in life expectancy affirms Beijing’s commitment to boosting healthcare standards and presents economic opportunities.

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China GDP

China’s economic focus in 2026: what to expect as leaders prep for major meeting

Growth of ‘around 5 per cent’ may be revised to between 4.5 and 5 per cent, analysts say, as leadership gears up for tone-setting conference.

Chinese leaders will hold the central economic work conference in December, a closed-door meeting to discuss the top policy goals for 2026.
China's population

Living to 79: China’s record longevity puts economic wrinkles in focus

Improved healthcare outcomes are colliding with China’s three-year population decline, testing social safety nets despite improvements in medical infrastructure.

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Trending in China

Elderly China woman seeks ‘daughter’ to care for her, offers flat, monthly salary

Online reactions have varied, with some expressing interest, while others questioning the feasibility and motivations behind Ma’s search.

China jobs

Youth unfulfilled: job opportunities in China’s senior-care sector go untapped

Amid booming opportunities in the care economy as China’s population gets older, new graduates express concerns over low wages and unfamiliarity with the field.

An elderly person chats with a staff worker at an aged-care service centre in China’s Hainan province last month. Photo: Xinhua
Open Questions series

Open Questions | Nicholas Lardy on China’s unique economic advantage

Economist at US think tanks on bright prospects for China, the challenges it faces and why more market discipline is needed.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
China's population

Editorial | As China ages, nurturing the silver economy could help drive growth

Beyond technological competitiveness, it is important for China to build an elderly care system that supports an increasingly ageing populace.

China’s fourth plenum

China’s 15th five-year plan

The approved outline for China’s 15th five-year plan highlights efforts to spur domestic consumption, boost technological self-sufficiency and further raise the nation’s industrial competitiveness. The plan will come into effect in 2026.

Trending in China

Elderly China woman tearfully hugs pet duck killed by car, mourns loss of companion

Many recognise that the duck had become the woman’s emotional anchor and spiritual support.

An elderly Chinese woman was seen grieving for her pet duck, which was killed by a car in a road accident. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin
China's population

China’s population outlook gets even worse

The new five-year plan assumes a 0.2 per cent annual population decline as the government struggles to revive birth rates and prevent the increasing ageing of the country.

Photo: AFP
China's population

As more of China becomes ‘moderately aged’, how will its economy change?

Much of China has passed a key demographic threshold as the population ages, making adaptations necessary for policymakers and businesses.

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China's population

State matchmaking and a PR blitz – is this the way to boost China’s birth rate?

The dramatic approach adopted by one city is attracting nationwide attention, but critics warn more fundamental policy changes are needed.

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