At the “two sessions” of China's national legislature and top political advisory body held last week, deputies put forward proposals on improving elderly care services. Fan Xianqun, Deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC), Chancellor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), proposed optimizing health management services for the elderly, which would include regular health check-ups, disease prevention, and rehabilitation care, building a comprehensive chronic disease prevention network and balancing the distribution of medical resources. Additionally, Fan advised promoting the application of digital intelligence technology and AI in medical image analysis, disease prediction, and personalized treatment to improve the accuracy of disease diagnosis, optimize treatment plans, reduce the waste of medical resources, and extend healthy lifespans.
China has been making efforts to develop and improve elderly care services in recent years. In 2024, the average life expectancy in China increased by 0.4 years from 2023, said Lei Haichao, Director of the National Health Commission (NHC). The average life expectancy in eight well-off municipalities and provinces, including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Shandong, Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, has exceeded 80 years, Lei said. He added that disparities in health levels among provincial regions are gradually decreasing, indicating that health equity is improving steadily. Zhang Weibin, Member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), from Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, proposed promoting the development of a “time bank” for the elderly, a system where volunteers deposit the time they spend participating in public service activities into an account, which they can later withdraw as “service time” when they need them.
To actively respond to population aging, the country will refine policies and mechanisms for developing elderly care programs and industries and vigorously develop the silver economy, according to China's 2025 Government Work Report, the Global Times reports.
Far from a niche market for retirement homes and stairlifts, pensioners are creating whole new markets that are becoming a greater force in the economy, as the elderly are transitioning from fulfilling basic needs to seeking avenues for personal growth. From ensuring quality elderly care to embracing smart aging, from promoting silver-haired cultural tourism to developing age-appropriate technology and silver economy finance, this “aging revolution” is covering all facets of life, health and leisure.
As of the end of last year, China’s population included 310 million individuals aged 60 and above, with 220 million aged 65 and older, representing 22% and 15.6% of the total population, respectively. Currently in China, 90% of elderly care is provided at home, 7% in the community and less than 3% choose institutional care. Compared to Western countries, the institutional participation rate is very low, the China Daily adds.
