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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 70-year-old Chinese woman has used so-called hell money for purchases in her neighbourhood for years and stall owners accept it without complaint. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin
Trending in China

‘Kind-hearted’ China grandma pays with hell money at food stalls, vendors agree

70-something grandmother ‘buys’ roasted chicken skewers, cakes, steamed stuffed buns using items she finds on road.

Trending in China

China seniors pursue overseas education after retirement to realise dreams

China's population

China and South Korea team up on a vexing issue: their fast-ageing populations

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China's population

Glimmer of hope? Why China’s marriage uptick could spark 2026 birth rebound

Double-digit jump in registration rate, boosted by policy and cultural tradition, offers modest upturn, but demographers are wary of weak fertility intentions.

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A couple participates in a group wedding in August, in China’s Guangdong province. Photo: Getty Images
Ageing society

Opinion | Hong Kong should see the ‘silver economy’ as a golden opportunity

The city could reframe its ageing trend by working to become a global capital for ‘longevity finance’ and supporting East-West healthcare innovations.

China society

Opinion | A loneliness crisis is the price China is paying for rapid modernisation

As migrant workers head home for the Lunar New Year break, it is a good time to reflect on how the loneliness that has gripped Chinese society can be alleviated.

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Trending in China

Why young China viewers are being drawn to dating shows with older contestants

South Korean-influenced reality shows rise in popularity, in part driven by mature women who are brutally honest about the men taking part.

Young viewers in China are increasingly drawn to dating reality shows which feature older contestants. Since 2018, China has embraced the genre, influenced by South Korean formats. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Weibo
Hong Kong population

Opinion | Boost birth rates? Governments should focus on the population they have

Instead of growing the population at all costs, governments should be practically addressing longer life expectancies.

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Trending in China

Silver surfers: how China ‘granfluencers’ steal spotlight, taking over social media

Some firms managing granfluencers exploit young people’s compassion by scheduling late-night live-streams for seniors to encourage tipping.

China economy

Opinion | China’s real constraint is where to direct limited fiscal resources

With Beijing focusing on spending priorities, Asian investors and businesses must watch which provinces, sectors and state firms are favoured.

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An employee works on a production line at a motorcycle company in Tongren city, in southwest China’s Guizhou province, on January 27. As part of its industrial upgrading, China must direct sustained state financing to support semiconductor ecosystems, advanced manufacturing and strategic technologies. Photo: Xinhua
Mainland China

Silver bullet: New Oriental strategy pivots to China’s silver economy

China’s leading private education firm tests new growth paths, amid demographic shifts and softer demand for US-bound study.

New Oriental has been steadily expanding its senior-focused offerings. Photo: Shutterstock
China's population

‘Loneliness economy’: how China is adapting to a rapid rise in solo living

The viral success of check-in app Are You Dead? has exposed the vast demand for services catering to China’s rapidly growing single population.

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Hong Kong society

Opinion | Hong Kong must tackle the challenges of a super-aged society head on

With both Hong Kong and mainland China unlikely to be able to reverse the decline in birth rates, investing effectively in human capital is crucial.

Trending in China

China granny smashes TV set over drama characters’ misdeeds

Family installs acrylic shield to protect TV screen, avoiding a projector, fearing she might hit the wall and injure herself.

A 91-year-old grandmother loves watching TV dramas so much that she becomes angry and even hits the TV screen when her favourite characters are wronged. Photo: 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.

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

Musician plays ‘farewell song’ for dying mother who sacrificed her own romantic happiness to bring up child alone.

China's population

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

With Beijing having accelerated family-support policies and childcare subsidies, analysts warn that structural reforms are vital to arrest the deepening slide.

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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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A viral Chinese app called “Dead or Not” helps people who live alone check in daily to confirm that they are alive. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Sohu
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.

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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A nurse takes care of a newborn baby at a hospital in China’s Anhui province. Photo: AFP
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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