In some rural areas of China, the phenomenon of adult children relying on their parents for financial support is becoming increasingly common. Referred to as the “eating old” generation, it includes young adults aged 20 to 40. The reliance on parents by the younger generation is mostly manifested by living beyond their means after starting work and being unemployed at home. Meanwhile, middle-aged adults lean on their parents for support in various aspects such as marriage, dowry, buying a house, and taking care of their children. This issue made headlines on Baidu’s trending searches on November 5th and sparked discussions among netizens.
“Eating old” refers to the phenomenon where adult children still depend on their parents to support themselves even after reaching adulthood. According to an investigation report released by Ban Yue Tan’s official account on November 4, in the 20th issue of 2024, the “eating old” phenomenon in rural China involves both young and middle-aged individuals. Some have been working for years but still require financial assistance from their parents. Others rely on their parents for financial support to get married, buy a house, and even for childcare expenses.
For example, Ning Bo (pseudonym), a 24-year-old from Shanxi, graduated from vocational school and has been working in the city for a few years. However, he still needs financial help from his parents from time to time. This year, when Ning Bo got married and bought a house in the county town, with the total expenses of around 400,000 RMB, all financial burdens were shouldered by his parents.
In rural areas, families with better financial conditions have a lighter burden in supporting their children, but those with poorer backgrounds have to tighten their belts. Wang Chao (pseudonym), 61 years old, despite buying a house and a car for his son in the city, still financially supports his son’s family. He expressed, “Rich or poor, everyone eats old. The rich eat the rich, the poor eat the poor. Before and after marriage, they all rely on parents. Those from better-off families can manage, but those from average backgrounds struggle a lot.”
In Ningxia’s Xihai Gu region, Bai Caixia (pseudonym), a poverty alleviation household, faced challenges as her 25-year-old son started a family and worked in the city, earning just over 3,000 RMB per month. This income was not enough to sustain the family, so Bai and her husband had to make ends meet, even sacrificing their own needs, to financially support their grandson with milk powder money. Due to the downturn in the livestock market, where raising cattle no longer brought in profits, Bai’s charitable job, earning nearly 1,000 RMB a month, was mostly dedicated to supporting her grandson, and the family had to rely on borrowing money to make ends meet.
Apart from financial support, there is also a common issue of “eating time”. Many young adults who migrate to work in urban areas leave their children to be raised by their parents, who not only spend money but also invest time and effort. Han Fei, a 35-year-old from a central province, and his wife work in Jiangsu year-round while their grandparents take care of their children. Han Fei shared, “We go back home at most twice a year, staying for a maximum of two weeks each time. Our children have been mostly raised by my parents since they were young, and my parents are the ones primarily responsible for daily expenses. It’s really out of necessity.”
The report attributes the increasing phenomenon of “eating old” in rural areas to the influence of consumerism, the rise of social comparison, and the strong desires for high consumption among young and middle-aged individuals. This has caused many to overspend beyond their means, leading to a depletion of personal finances. Responsibilities such as raising children that should be shouldered by individuals have fallen onto the shoulders of their parents.
Regarding the sacrifices made by the elderly, some young and middle-aged individuals consider it as something that “should be done”. For their own pursuits of a “better life” and to live better than others, they tend to neglect traditional family responsibilities such as caring for their descendants and supporting their elderly parents. Thus, “eating” into the resources of their elderly becomes a natural course of action for them. The expenses of purchasing homes, dowries, and other financial demands have become significant burdens for families in rural areas. The cost of starting a family and raising children, paired with the lack of property in urban areas, have become immense challenges for some families.
Moreover, with the current economic downturn in China, there is increased pressure on young people living in rural areas to seek employment or start businesses in urban areas to boost their income. Some rural youth feel compelled to rely on their parents due to these financial constraints. Upon migrating to urban areas, many young adults engage in unstable jobs with fluctuating incomes, needing to balance supporting their families and repaying loans for housing, which pushes some to rely on their parents for sustenance.
Due to unstable and decreasing incomes, economic disputes are also on the rise. A judge from a county court in the central region mentioned an increase in the number of civil loan cases handled by the courts. Some cases involve rural migrants working in cities whose mortgage payments are cut off, while others revolve around various small loan amounts ranging from a few thousand to tens of thousands of RMB.
The publication of this report has resonated with netizens, with over 2,100 people participating in discussions on Tencent’s website.
One netizen, “Nan Shan Bu Wang Bei”, expressed, “The pressure is too great. Dowries, buying a house, when the family situation is not great, and now it’s so difficult to earn money. At just 25 years old, one needs so much money. The current social situation is just impossible.”
Another netizen, “hutashenzhou”, commented, “A person’s salary should be enough to support a family. Nowadays, at the grassroots level, some struggle to even support themselves. It’s not just about ‘eating old,’ establishing a family and career is a luxury now!”
“Huang Genyun” admitted, “I feel ashamed! At 38, I’m also part of the ‘eating old’ group. Even with my job after marriage earning 15,000 RMB, it’s still not enough! Mortgage, household expenses, personal expenses—I can barely save. Sometimes, my parents help out. I feel embarrassed when I can’t provide the money to show filial piety at the end of the year.”
Meanwhile, “Xiao Zhong” noted, “If you want to have a second or third child, you need support from your parents. In China, 99% of men don’t earn enough for marriage, mortgages, and living expenses. Consequently, the birth rate is low, and it’s challenging to change this situation.”
However, “Ling Fei” had a different perspective, stating, “If you can’t even live frugally yourself, then it’s forgivable to rely on parents. The crux of the issue is that many rely on their parents while also living extravagantly.”