According to statistics recently released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the proportion of people aged 60 and above in China has reached 21.1% of the total population, indicating that the country has entered a moderately aging society.
As of the end of 2023, the number of elderly people aged 60 and above in China has reached 296.97 million, accounting for 21.1% of the total population, with 216.76 million people aged 65 and above, making up 15.4% of the total population, as shown in the “2023 Civil Affairs Development Statistical Bulletin” released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs on August 30.
Compared to 2022, the proportion of people aged 60 and above in China has increased by 1.3 percentage points, surpassing 20% for the first time.
According to current standards, a country is considered to be in an aging society when the proportion of people aged 60 and above is 10% of the total population, or when the proportion of people aged 65 and above is 7%. When the proportion of people aged 60 and above exceeds 20% and 30%, it is classified as moderately or severely aging.
A spokesperson from the National Bureau of Statistics of the CCP previously mentioned in a press conference that according to international consensus, a country is considered to be in a moderately aging stage when the proportion of people aged 60 and above is between 20% and 30%.
The “Report on Strengthening and Promoting the Progress of Aging Work” issued by the State Council had predicted that by 2035, the number of people aged 60 and above in China would increase to around 420 million, accounting for over 30%.
Wang Haidong, the Director of the Aging Department of the National Health Commission of the CCP, admitted during a press conference on September 20, 2022, that China’s aging population presents a situation and characteristics of high quantity, rapid speed, and great differences. The large number of elderly people in China is unprecedented globally. Research indicates that the time taken for the proportion of people aged 65 and above to increase from 7% to 14% was 115 years for France, 85 years for Sweden, 66 years for the United States, 45 years for the United Kingdom, while China achieved this in approximately 25 years.
Some scholars believe that the demographic changes in China will ultimately harm the economy, lead to a reduction in the workforce, and put pressure on fiscal policies.
A report from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in January also stated: “(China’s) aging population will bring direct and worrying financial pressures.”
Due to the CCP’s consistent concealment of true data, the actual situation may be even more serious.