{"id":87038,"date":"2026-10-19T18:17:26","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T12:47:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=87038"},"modified":"2026-10-19T18:17:53","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T12:47:53","slug":"china-ageing-population-super-aged-society","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/19-10-2026\/china-ageing-population-super-aged-society","title":{"rendered":"China\u2019s Beijing to Become \u2018Super-Aged\u2019 Society by 2035"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/ Society<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In News<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Beijing is projected to become a <strong>super-aged society by 2035<\/strong>, reflecting <strong>China&#8217;s rapidly ageing population<\/strong>, declining birth rates and increasing life expectancy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is a Super-Aged Society?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Under commonly used demographic classifications, a population is considered an <strong>ageing society when people aged 60 and above account<\/strong> for at least 10 per cent of the population.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The threshold rises to <strong>20 per cent for an aged society and 30 per cent for a super-aged society.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>An aging population increases <strong>demand for healthcare, pensions, long-term care and age-friendly infrastructure.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>China&#8217;s Wider Demographic Shift<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>As of end-2025:<\/strong> Beijing had 5.288 million residents aged 60 and above, accounting for 24.3% of its population.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Low Fertility:<\/strong> China\u2019s fertility rate is about 1.0 to 1.2, far below replacement level (2.1).\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Projection for 2035<\/strong>: More than 33% of Beijing&#8217;s residents are expected to be aged 60 or above which is roughly one in three people.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Reasons Behind Population Ageing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Low birth rates &amp; Shrinking workforce: <\/strong>China&#8217;s population has been declining since 2022. The one child policy (1979 to 2015) and urban living costs have locked in low births.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rising Longevity:<\/strong> Better healthcare has raised life expectancy to about 78 years, which enlarges the elderly base while the working age group shrinks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Demographic transition: <\/strong>Large older cohorts are moving into retirement age.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Implications of Ageing Society<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Shrinking Labour Force:<\/strong> A smaller workforce raises wages and weakens the manufacturing cost advantage. This pushes firms toward automation and relocation to cheaper economies like India and Vietnam.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fiscal Pressure: <\/strong>Pension and healthcare spending rise while the contributor base falls.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lower Savings and Growth:<\/strong> An older population saves less and consumes differently, reducing investment and potential GDP growth.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>New Opportunities: <\/strong>The silver economy covers healthcare, assisted living, insurance and geriatric technology, creating new markets.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Global Supply Chains:<\/strong> China\u2019s ageing accelerates the \u201cChina plus one\u201d strategy, which opens space for India in electronics and manufacturing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India\u2019s Position<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Window of Advantage:<\/strong> India has a median age of about 28 years, and the demographic dividend will last till roughly the 2040s.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ageing is Underway:<\/strong> The 60+ population was about 10.5% in 2022 and is projected to reach about 20% by 2050 (India Ageing Report 2023). India\u2019s fertility rate (2.0 in NFHS 5) is already below replacement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Regional Divergence<\/strong>: Southern states are aging faster. Kerala\u2019s elderly share is projected to cross 20% by the mid 2030s, while Bihar and Uttar Pradesh remain young. This causes uneven fiscal burdens and migration pressures.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Existing Framework: <\/strong>The National Policy for Older Persons (1999), Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act (2007), NSAP pensions, Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana, and Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY (extended to all above 70 in 2024).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges for India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Getting Old Before Getting Rich:<\/strong> India\u2019s per capita income is far below China\u2019s, so it will age with less fiscal capacity and weaker social security.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pension Gap:<\/strong> Nearly 90% of workers are informal, and only a small share has pension coverage. Old age poverty is therefore a real risk, especially for women.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Healthcare Strain:<\/strong> Non communicable diseases, dementia and weak geriatric care capacity add costs. Out of pocket spending remains high.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Skill and Jobs Mismatch: <\/strong>The dividend is wasted if youth are not employable. Low female labour force participation compounds this.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Forward For India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Harvest the Dividend Now:<\/strong> Invest in skilling, manufacturing and women\u2019s workforce participation under Skill India and PLI schemes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Universal Social Security:<\/strong> Expanding the Atal Pension Yojana, NPS and the Code on Social Security 2020 to gig and informal workers is a good move.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Geriatric Healthcare<\/strong>: Build specialised geriatric units in district hospitals, and promote long term care insurance and home based care.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Silver Economy:<\/strong> Encourage senior living, assistive technology and elderly employment through flexible work.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Decentralised Planning: <\/strong>Use Finance Commission transfers and state specific strategies to address regional ageing gaps.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Learn from East Asia:<\/strong> Avoid coercive population policies. Focus on supportive childcare, housing and workplace policies instead.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>While China&#8217;s ageing may open space in global manufacturing and services, India must create productive jobs, improve skills, increase women&#8217;s participation and prepare for its own ageing transition.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.firstpost.com\/world\/beijing-to-become-super-aged-society-by-2035-with-1-in-3-residents-over-60-14053730.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong> Firstpost<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> In News <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Beijing is projected to become a super-aged society by 2035, reflecting China&#8217;s rapidly ageing population, declining birth rates and increasing life expectancy. <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> What is a Super-Aged Society? <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Under commonly used demographic classifications, a population is considered an ageing society when people aged 60 and above account for at least 10 per cent of the population. <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> The threshold rises to 20 per cent for an aged society and 30 per cent for a super-aged society. <\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/19-10-2026\/china-ageing-population-super-aged-society \" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-87038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87038"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87038\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87043,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87038\/revisions\/87043"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}