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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.
Chinese government departments are increasingly hiring retirees as society ages rapidly. Photo: EPA-EFE
China's population

China’s state agencies are hiring retirees as the workforce rapidly ages

Universities, hospitals and government departments are actively recruiting retired former workers to cope with rapid demographic changes.

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Wellness

How tai chi energises these Chinese retirees: ‘everyone’s health has improved’

China's population

China’s population ageing seen as ‘inevitable’ by 2050. Why push more births?

Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Hong Kong can be the Asia-Pacific’s longevity hub

City has unique conditions to be the premier regional hub for longevity research, clinical trials, regulatory approval and capital scaling.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Trending in China

Chinese clinic extracts 12 teeth from man after he complains of ache in one tooth

Dentist closes for rectification and ordered to pay back fee after being found liable for misconduct, draining 63-year-old’s bank accounts.

China’s Communist Party

As China’s Communist Party grows more slowly, its members are getting older

World’s second-largest political party is ageing, official data shows, with nearly 30 per cent of members aged 61 or older.

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Trending in China

Last professional letter writer in Chinese city pens 100,000 missives over 59 years

Renowned man of many words bridges overseas divide for migrant families; turns mundane messages into poetry to convey emotion.

A 77-year-old man in China is thought to be one of the country’s last remaining professional letter writers. Photo: Douyin
China consumption

China has the most smokers in the world. Is it harming the economy?

Public health experts warn low taxes on cigarettes risk undermining Beijing’s pursuit of a healthier population.

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Trending in China

China grandma, 74, gains online fame for fashion sense, youthful spirit, confidence

Septuagenarian shares diet, exercise and style secrets that keep her looking young, gets 2 million followers on social media.

Ageing society

Opinion | East Asia’s population challenge isn’t just about raising birth rates

Sustainable policies must strengthen people’s well-being and expand opportunities, creating a society where everyone can thrive.

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A woman and child rest on some steps in Tsim Sha Tsui on January 13. Photo: Jelly Tse
Trending in China

Controversial China ‘dead or alive’ app becomes valuable personal safety tool

Application inspired by developer’s fear of walking home alone late at night becomes potential lifesaver for elderly people.

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An app for the elderly in China called “dead or alive” has stirred controversy. Photo: Shutterstock
China's population

China’s population over 65 outnumbers children for first time since 1949: survey

At the end of last year, 15.87 per cent of China’s population was aged at least 65, compared with 15.25 per cent aged between 0 and 14.

Trending in China

Chinese man, 78, lives in supermarket, offers property he owns to carer friend

‘Sloppy and unhygienic’ looking grandfather gets cleaned up by nanny he met in shop; faces fight with his son over ownership of home.

China's population

China’s marriage numbers plunge to Covid-era low as population woes deepen

Fewer than 1.7 million couples tied the knot in the first quarter, the lowest total for the same period since lockdown-dominated 2020.

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A newlywed couple takes a selfie with their marriage certificates at a marriage registration office in China’s northern Henan province. Photo: Getty Images
China debt

China, US drive global debt to record $353 trillion – what’s behind the surge?

New report warns that rising conflicts, AI spending and energy security push are all expected to further increase global debt levels.

Global debt hit a record high of nearly US$353 trillion in the first quarter of 2026, according to the Institute of International Finance (IIF), with China and the United States largely driving the trend. Photo: EPA-EFE
US-China relations

The ageing dilemma: why robots can’t save us but China-US cooperation might

US medical anthropologist Arthur Kleinman looks for path out of a social paradox: longer lives without a defined social role.

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Trending in China

China vegetarian woman, 107, captivates internet with robust health, sharp memory

Centenarian with flawless skin is oldest person in her residential community; passes full-body health checks with flying colours.

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China birth rate

In China, a France-sized population loss begins to test coastal powerhouses

Rising pension burdens and social security subsidies are also straining public finances – though trends remain uneven, analysts say.

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Elderly people rest at a park in Fuyang in eastern China’s Anhui province on September 13, 2024. Photo: AFP
Trending in China

‘Phone booth princess’: China grandma spends 3 decades managing public service kiosk

Octogenarian spends 11 hours a day manning two landlines in busy tourist area of Shanghai, says the job staves off loneliness.

China jobs

China’s youth unemployment crunch deepens as record graduation season looms

China’s official youth jobless rate climbed to 16.9 per cent in March, with another 12.7 million graduates set to enter the job market this summer.

China jobs

Shanghai mobilises seniors to work longer amid China’s demographic crisis

With one in three residents above retirement age, Shanghai’s 28-department plan aims to mobilise retirees to offset shrinking payrolls and rising pension strains.

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A group of older Chinese people gather at Shanghai’s Fuxing Park. The city is now encouraging seniors to return to work. Photo: Shutterstock
Trending in China

China woman, 89, climbs from 27th to 21st floor to escape locked bedroom goes viral

Fearless grandmother continues descent as firefighters rush to her rescue; is eventually moved inside high-rise block, suffers no injuries.

An 89-year-old Chinese woman has made headlines after climbing from the 27th to the 21st floor of her high-rise building to escape a locked bedroom. Photo: SCMP composite/CCTV/RedNote
China consumption

Xi Jinping backs services sector to power China’s next growth phase

Beijing is counting on services to rebalance growth as it faces economic headwinds and demographic challenges.

Mainland China

Demographic shift fuels growth in China’s elderly care, insurance sectors

Powered by AI, the silver economy is driving product innovation and unlocking substantial new consumption growth.

Trending in China

China ‘left-behind aunties’, or senior girl group, get popular for charm, dancing

Lonely, disconnected elderly women find social links, confidence and an army of online fans with their joyous online routines.

A group of “left-behind aunties” in a village in China has gained popularity for their live-streaming performances; audiences are drawn to their charm and impressive dance skills. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin
Trending in China

China grandma falls for AI-generated ‘bossy president’, writes ‘him’ love letters

84-year-old spends hours watching AI-generated humans, asks digital man if he ‘hates’ her, even thinks about marrying ‘him’.

An 84-year-old grandmother fell in love with an artificial intelligence-generated human, writing him love letters and buying over-priced items from his online shop. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Douyin
Trending in China

China woman lives in nursing home, pays US$30 rent by being companion to residents

25-year-old says care venue ‘feels like home’; friendship scheme aims to ease work pressure on young, address ageing population problem.

China society

Opinion | Why China’s AI automation push is a risky social experiment

Without reforms to improve wages, housing access and childcare, automation could entrench a low-fertility crisis and destabilise the social contract.

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