A report issued by the China National Committee on Ageing states China entered an 'Ageing Society' in 1999. China has the largest number of aged population in the world, accounting for one-fifth of the global aged population.
The report estimates China is experiencing a speeding-up of the ageing process.
From 2001 to 2100, the population's ageing process can be divided into three phases. The first is from 2001 to 2020 in which the Chinese population's ageing speed will be fast. The second phase is from 2021 to 2050 in which the population's ageing speed in China will be faster than in the previous decade. The third phase is from 2051 to 2100 in which China will be a stable, seriously ageing society.
The pressure of an ageing society in China is becoming more and more apparent.
The report points out that compared to other countries, China's ageing society has the following characteristics.
China has a huge number of aged population. In 2004, the population older than 60 years in China was 143 million. It will reach 200 million in 2014, 300 million in 2026, 400 million in 2037, and it will reach its largest number in 2051, after which it will be stable between 300 million and 400 million.
According to United Nations' estimates, China will always be the country with the one of the largest numbers of aged population in the world, accounting for one-fifth of the global aged population before 2050. In the second half of the 21st century, China will be the second largest country after India in number of aged population.
The speed of growth of the ageing population in China is rapid. It usually takes more than 45 years for developed countries to reach a population proportion of elderly above 65 changing from 7 to 14 percent. However, it has taken China only 27 years to complete this process of change, and its quickening will remain rapid.
China's ageing situation is not balanced over the whole country. The ageing process is more serious in eastern areas than western areas. Shanghai was China's earliest city to enter an ageing society which started in 1979, that is 33 years earlier than the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region which entered an ageing society in 2012.
There is a sharp difference between rural and urban areas. The population's ageing level in rural areas is 1.24 percent higher than in urban areas. The situation of rural areas containing more aged persons than urban areas won't change until 2040. This is one of the areas where it is apparent China's ageing situation is very different from that of developed countries.
The aged population of women is larger than men. At present, there are 4.64 million more aged women than aged men. The difference of the population between aged women and aged men will reach a peak of 26.45 million in 2049. During the second half of the 21st century, there will be 17 million to 19 million more aged women than aged men. In addition, among the number of aged women that surpass aged men, it is estimated between 50 percent to 70 percent are women over 80 years.
China's ageing process is faster than its modernization process. Many developed countries entered the state of being an ageing society after they became affluent or well-developed. It's called "Affluence before Ageing”. China, however, entered an ageing society before it became affluent or well-developed, which is called 'Ageing before Affluence'. GDP per capita in developed countries when they entered ageing society reached on average between US$ 5,000 and US$10,000 but the GDP per capita in China when it entered an ageing society was just above US$1,000, which is the level of a country with an income lower than 'moderate' level. The financial capability of China to confront the costs of an ageing society is rather weak.
The report estimates China is experiencing a speeding-up of the ageing process.
From 2001 to 2100, the population's ageing process can be divided into three phases. The first is from 2001 to 2020 in which the Chinese population's ageing speed will be fast. The second phase is from 2021 to 2050 in which the population's ageing speed in China will be faster than in the previous decade. The third phase is from 2051 to 2100 in which China will be a stable, seriously ageing society.
The pressure of an ageing society in China is becoming more and more apparent.
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The report points out that compared to other countries, China's ageing society has the following characteristics.
China has a huge number of aged population. In 2004, the population older than 60 years in China was 143 million. It will reach 200 million in 2014, 300 million in 2026, 400 million in 2037, and it will reach its largest number in 2051, after which it will be stable between 300 million and 400 million.
According to United Nations' estimates, China will always be the country with the one of the largest numbers of aged population in the world, accounting for one-fifth of the global aged population before 2050. In the second half of the 21st century, China will be the second largest country after India in number of aged population.
The speed of growth of the ageing population in China is rapid. It usually takes more than 45 years for developed countries to reach a population proportion of elderly above 65 changing from 7 to 14 percent. However, it has taken China only 27 years to complete this process of change, and its quickening will remain rapid.
China's ageing situation is not balanced over the whole country. The ageing process is more serious in eastern areas than western areas. Shanghai was China's earliest city to enter an ageing society which started in 1979, that is 33 years earlier than the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region which entered an ageing society in 2012.
There is a sharp difference between rural and urban areas. The population's ageing level in rural areas is 1.24 percent higher than in urban areas. The situation of rural areas containing more aged persons than urban areas won't change until 2040. This is one of the areas where it is apparent China's ageing situation is very different from that of developed countries.
The aged population of women is larger than men. At present, there are 4.64 million more aged women than aged men. The difference of the population between aged women and aged men will reach a peak of 26.45 million in 2049. During the second half of the 21st century, there will be 17 million to 19 million more aged women than aged men. In addition, among the number of aged women that surpass aged men, it is estimated between 50 percent to 70 percent are women over 80 years.
China's ageing process is faster than its modernization process. Many developed countries entered the state of being an ageing society after they became affluent or well-developed. It's called "Affluence before Ageing”. China, however, entered an ageing society before it became affluent or well-developed, which is called 'Ageing before Affluence'. GDP per capita in developed countries when they entered ageing society reached on average between US$ 5,000 and US$10,000 but the GDP per capita in China when it entered an ageing society was just above US$1,000, which is the level of a country with an income lower than 'moderate' level. The financial capability of China to confront the costs of an ageing society is rather weak.
(Source: china.com.cn/ Translated and edited by womenofchina.cn)
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