Senior care services to be expanded

Guideline calls for improvements catered for elderly as nation tackles aging population

China will further optimize public services for elderly people to make them more affordable, sustainable and comfortable, according to a guideline released in January.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, China's Cabinet, released the guideline on improving elderly care services to address issues surrounding the nation's rapidly aging population.

The latest figures from the Ministry of Civil Affairs show that as of the end of 2023, China had 297 million people age 60 and above, accounting for 21.1 percent of the nation's total population. Among them, 217 million were above the age of 65, highlighting the urgent need for an increase in the allocation of resources for elderly care services.