PopulationofficialsanddemographershavemuchtoworryaboutChina’sincreasinglyagingpopulation.Itisestimatedthattheproportionofpeopleaged60orolderinChinawillriseto11.8percentin2020.Bythemiddleofthiscentury,peopleagedbeyond60willtakeup27.4percentofthetotalpopulation—thatmeansoneoutofeveryfourpeoplewillbesenior!
Theagingpopulationposesaseriouschallengetofamiliesandthesociety.Ontheonehand,withfamiliesbecomingsmallerandlivingpaceescalating,itisevengraverforfamiliestocareforagedmembersadequately.Ontheotherhand,agingcausesarelativedeclineinworkingforce.Consequently,theproductivityofthewholesocietywillbeaffectedtosomeextent.
Therapidityofthepopulation’saginghasmadeitmoreurgentfortheadoptionofcountermeasures.Thereisnodoubtthatthekeyistobuildasolideconomicfoundation.Meanwhile,importanceshouldbeattachedtooverallsocialprogressbychangingthebackwardsituationinsocialsecurity,welfareandservice.What’smore,familycareandcommunity-basedservicesshouldalsobeencouraged.