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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.
Elderly people enjoy the sunshine in a park in Shanghai. Chinese government departments are increasingly hiring retirees as society ages rapidly. Photo: Shutterstock
China's population

Letters | Solution to Asia’s ageing workforce could be sitting at home retired

Readers discuss second-career pathways for older professionals, and why Indonesia and China should innovate together.

Trending in China

‘Die on the road, not in hospital’: Chinese man takes paralysed wife on epic road trip

Trending in China

Chinese ‘family bridge’ connects remote elderly and overseas children

Trending in China

Chinese grandma, 111, reveals secret daily ‘workout’ leading to her longevity

With 672 centenarians in her area, researchers suggest that the mineral-rich soil contributes to the health benefits of locally grown crops.

Meet Wang Gaiying, a remarkable 111-year-old from eastern China who has captured hearts online with her timeless wisdom for a long, fulfilling life. Photo: QQ.com
China economy

Opinion | China’s economic shift may hinge on what migrant workers do next

Where migrant workers go, what sectors they serve and how many stay employed will shape whether productivity gains go beyond the most advanced sectors.

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China jobs

Could Filipinos benefit as China opens door to foreign domestic work schools?

Move designed to boost supply and quality of home services as Beijing seeks to create more jobs in a rapidly ageing society.

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China's population

China’s five-year public health blueprint

Officials target raising life expectancy to 80 years by 2030 in national health blueprint under 15th five-year plan.

Photo: Shutterstock
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’

Tai chi practitioners at Beijing’s Temple of Heaven talk about learning the ancient Chinese practice and how it benefits health and spirit.

China's population

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

Raising the fertility rate above 1.3 still remains crucial to preventing a far worse scenario later in the century, analysts say.

An elderly couple practice tai chi at a park in Beijing. Photo: AP
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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A smoker in Yichang city, Hubei province on May 31, 2025. China is home to about 350 million smokers, according to the WHO. Photo: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images
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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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.

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.

A Shanghai grandmother, affectionately known as the “telephone booth princess,” has dedicated 33 years of her life to managing a public telephone booth. Photo: SCMP composite/Xinhua/kankanews
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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