Some 15.3 percent of China's elderly reported a need for additional care, according to a recently released report on the living condition of the country's senior citizens.
This figure has increased by 9 percentage points from 2000, according to the Survey Report on the Living Conditions of China's Urban and Rural Older Persons (2018), which was published by Social Sciences Academic Press.
The percentage of urban elderly reporting a need for care rose from 8 percent to 14.2 percent between 2000 and 2015. In comparison, the percentage in rural areas increased from 6.2 percent to 16.5 percent during the same time.
The need for care among elderly aged 80 and above displayed a sharper increase. The rate rose substantially from 21.5 percent in 2000 to 41.0 percent in 2015, while those aged 79 and below requiring care rose from 5.1 percent to 11.2 percent.
The types of care desired by elderly include at home doctor visits, housework services, health education, and psychological counselling, according to the report.
A total of 222,700 Chinese aged 60 and above from across the country answered the survey, which has been conducted every five years since 2000 by the China National Committee on Aging.
