2035年我国老年人口将达4亿 将进入'超老龄社会'
China's elderly population has been increasing rapidly and is estimated to hit around 400 million by the end of 2035, making China a "super aging society", according to experts. Since China became an "aging society" in 2000, the elderly population has increased yearly by about 10 million, Zheng Gongcheng, head of the China Association of Social Security, said at a forum. By international standards, a country or region is considered to be an "aging society" when those aged 65 or over account for 7-14% of the total population. Once that amount goes over 14%, the country or region is considered a "super aging society." Zheng said that China's elderly care services are developing rapidly but also unevenly. They are already not enough to satisfy the nationwide demand, while unbalanced supply has also become a problem, he said. These services lack social participation and professional nursing staff. Zheng recommended an industry-wide plan on elderly care services be formulated, which should be considered a new growth point for a sustainable national economy. |