The Gradual Aging of China's Workforce

China's Population Aged 60+ Increases by 86.42 Million in 10 Years... Surpassing Germany's Total Population
Possible Direct Announcement of Population Cliff Measures by President Xi Jinping at 20th Party Congress

[Asia Economy Senior Reporter Cho Young-shin] China's population aged 60 and over has increased by more than 86 million in the past decade. China's aging population means that its workforce is growing older. China's aging is expected to soon impact global manufacturing inflation (prices).

Photo by Global Times Capture

According to an analysis of China's population statistics between 2010 and 2020 by the Chinese economic media Caijing, the elderly population aged 60 and above increased by 86.42 million over the 10 years, reported on the 23rd. This number is even greater than the entire population of Germany, which is 83.88 million.

The media added that as of 2020, 264 million people, or 18.7% of China's total population, were aged 60 or older. This figure is similar to the total population of Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country, which has 279.13 million people.

Among China's 31 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions, Shandong Province showed the most significant increase in the elderly population. Over the past decade, the elderly population in Shandong increased by 7.09 million, reaching 21.22 million. Following Shandong were Henan Province (6 million), Jiangsu Province (5.93 million), and Hebei Province (5.47 million). Guangdong Province, the heart of China's economy, also saw an increase of over 5 million elderly people during the same period, ranking fifth in elderly population growth.

Caijing pointed out the seriousness of China's aging by noting that in 2010, only five provinces, including Shandong, had an elderly population exceeding 10 million, but by 2020, this number had increased to 11 provinces.

The media especially expressed concern about the aging workforce in China. As of the end of 2020, the total number of employed people nationwide was 750.64 million, with 8.8% aged 60 and above, and 5% aged 65 and above, according to Caijing. Among the elderly employed population, 20.6% worked in agriculture, animal husbandry, and fisheries, followed by manufacturing (18.1%), wholesale and retail (14.1%), and construction (11.3%).

China's aging issue became prominent after the results of the 2021 '7th National Population Census' were released. The elderly population aged 65 and above, which was 106 million in 2009, surged to 111 million in 2011, 122 million in 2014, 135 million in 2016, 152 million in 2018, and 160 million in 2019. Within China, it is estimated that by 2050, the population aged 65 and above will approach 400 million. This far exceeds the threshold for a super-aged society (where the population aged 65 and above accounts for 20% of the total population).

Professor Yi Baozhong of Jilin University in China stated, "China's birth rate was very high in the 1950s and 1960s, and those born during that time have now entered old age," adding, "The one-child policy led to a decline in birth rates, and the low birth rate is accelerating aging," pointing out the problems with China's population policy.

Inside China, there are expectations that during the 20th Party Congress next month, Chinese President Xi Jinping will personally announce comprehensive measures addressing birth and aging issues. This indicates how serious China's population cliff problem is.

In fact, the National Bureau of Statistics of China recently commissioned the China Population Development Research Center to conduct a survey involving 20,000 men and women aged 20 to 44 across 100 regions in China, focusing on marriage, childbirth, and childcare issues.

Professor Song Jian of Renmin University said, "This survey focused on the issue of unmarried individuals in rural areas," but refrained from elaborating, saying the results would be very interesting.

Meanwhile, 17 Chinese government departments, including the National Development and Reform Commission, the National Health Commission, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, issued the 'Guiding Opinions on Supplementing and Implementing Active Birth Support Measures' last month, expressing concerns that China's population decline could begin before 2025.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.