Responses to population ageing in the new era: a national condition report from China

Hui Zhu,Yun Zhang,Baochen Cui,Jiehua Lu

doi:10.1007/s42379-018-0017-9

Hui Zhu, Yun Zhang + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s42379-018-0017-9

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Abstract

Population ageing is the new national condition of China in 21st century. Responding actively to population ageing should be a long-term strategy of the country. This article introduces the process and characteristics of population ageing as the new national conditions and major challenges posed by it in the first session; in the second session, the author reviews the history of ageing policy system development since the founding of P.R.C. and presents the blueprint of a top-level strategy to respond actively to population ageing in the new era; session three of the article describes the major achievements of undertakings on ageing after 18th CPC national congress.

Highlights

Population ageing refers to the process of demographic structural change when the proportion of older persons against the total population increases
Increase of average life expectancy and decrease of total fertility rate is the fundamental cause of population ageing (Jiang 2005)
As shown in statistics of National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), by the end of 2017, the population aged over 60 years old reaches 241 million, accounting for 17.3% of the total population; population aged over 65 is 158 million, accounting for 11.4% of the total (Statistics from NBS 2018)

Summary

Process of population ageing in China

Population ageing refers to the process of demographic structural change when the proportion of older persons against the total population increases. Stage 1: From 1999 to 2022, there is a rapid development of population ageing, when population of older persons increases from 131 million to 268 million. Stage 2: From 2023 to 2036, there will be an accelerating development of population ageing, when population of older persons will amount to 423 million increased from 268 million. China is on its initiating stage of population ageing, though the absolute number and the comparative proportion of old population increase rapidly, whereas labor supply is still adequate and dependency ratio is comparatively low. This is the period when opportunities arise to respond to future challenges to be posed by population ageing. Population ageing is posing tremendous challenges in social and economic life of the country and will be so for a long period of time in near future

Characteristics of population ageing as the new national conditions

Grim challenges posed by population ageing

Findings

Achievements of undertakings on ageing after the 18th CPC National Congress