Although China's elderly care service industry has developed rapidly, it still faces several problems including a shortage of professional care workers and a lack of engagement of social forces, said an expert.
Zheng Gongcheng, president of the China Social Maintenance Society, which was approved by the State Council and registered under the Ministry of Civil Affairs, said at the Third China Elderly Care Service Industry Development Forum held in Guiyang, Guizhou Province on Saturday, that China has 240 million people aged 60 or above and the elderly population will increase by 10 million annually by 2035.
The population of people aged 60 or above in China is expected to reach 400 million by 2035, with the number of people aged 80 and above increasing by 1 million annually, said Zheng.
By international standards, a country or region is considered to be an "aging society" when the number of people aged 60 or above makes up 10 percent of the population or more.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs released a report in August saying that China had more than 230.8 million people aged 60 or above at the end of 2016, 16.7 percent of the total population.
According to Xinhua, the country had 140,000 nursing homes and more than 7.3 million beds at the end of 2016, with a year-on-year increase of 20.7 percent and 8.6 percent.
Under China's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) period, the country will provide better senior care services by improving the social security system and harnessing the market.
