Demand for elderly care services to rise

Demand for elderly care services in China will continue to rise due to the increasing aging population, experts said on Saturday.

The number of elderly people aged above 60 will top 200 million this year, 300 million in 2025 and 400 million in 2034, Civil Affairs Minister Li Liguo said.

It will be tough for China to cope, as it is experiencing accelerated urbanization and a dwindling willingness to have children, said Li Wei, director of the Development Research Center of the State Council.

The biggest challenge is that Chinese people do not have enough money as they get older, Li Wei said.

The United Nations defines an aging society as one that has 10 percent of its population at or above the age of 60.

When most developed countries were classed as an aging society, their gross domestic product (GDP) per capita stood at between 5,000 to 10,000 U.S. dollars or above. However, China became an aging society in 2001, and its GDP per capita was only 1,000 U.S. dollars. It was 6,000 U.S. dollars in 2012, Li Wei said.

"The economic foundation is very fragile for an elderly society," Li Wei said.

On Sept. 13, the State Council issued a guideline to accelerate the development of China's elderly care services, vowing to complete a social care network for its elderly by 2025.