(Ecns.cn)-- The number of people above the age of 60 reached 178 million by the end of 2010, about 13% of the total population, while those above the age of 65 reached 119 million. China is now the only country in the world that has more than 100 million people above 65 years old.
According to Li Jianguo, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China has been an aging society since 1999. Compared with a decade ago, the number of aged people over 60 years old has increased about 3%, and it is expected to exceed 200 million by 2014 and rise to 300 million by 2025. In 2042, this figure may even account for 16% of the total population in China.
Li said that China has basically established its pension system, though it has yet to expand its narrow coverage of the current 236 million people and increase the level of pension payment which is now 55 yuan ($8.61) per person every month.
By the end of May 2011, the number of people who have joined the new old-age insurance system for rural residents has reached 190 million, and 51.7 million of them have started receiving pension.
As a country with the largest population in the world, the aging society of China has many characteristics that are different from other countries. Apart from a large elderly population base at a rapidly increasing speed and the large number of empty nesters and the frail elderly, China's aging society comes ahead of industrialization and together with the family downsizing.
In the past 10 years, the number of people above the age of 80 has nearly doubled to 20 million. As more and more young people have their own nuclear families, parents, thus become empty nesters. At the end of 2010, nearly 50% of households were empty-nest families, and more than 33 million old people were frail and disabled.
With a declining birth rate, it was reported that now every five laborers had to support one pensioner in 2010 and in 2020 three laborers will have to do the job. Governments must be well prepared to provide enough affordable and convenient services for elderly residents so they can lead a comfortable life in their twilight years.
