SHI YU/CHINA DAILY
China is facing a rapidly aging population, with the number of people aged 60 and over likely to exceed 300 million, or about 20 percent of the total population, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25). .
A country is considered an “aging society” if 7 to 14 percent of its total population is 65 years of age or older, an “aging society” if 15 to 20 percent of its population is 65 years of age or older, and a “society super-aged” if 21 percent of its population is 65 years of age or older.
The fact that by the end of 2021 China had more than 200 million people aged 65 and over, accounting for more than 14 percent of the total population, means that the country is close to becoming an aging society. What’s more, China’s aging population will grow at an even faster rate since baby boomers, that is, those born between 1962 and 1976, began turning 60 this year and the number of 65-year-olds years or more has been increasing at an accelerating rate. relatively fast rate after 2018, with an annual average of around 10 million.
China’s population aged 60 and over was 50 million in 1970, around 100 million in 1991 and 200 million in 2013, and is likely to reach 300 million in 2025 and 400 million in 2033. The trend shows that the country it will turn grayer with the number of people aged 60 and over projected to double every 20 years.
Although China faces the daunting challenge of an aging population, there is no need to be too pessimistic about demographic changes. In the first place, people between 60 and 69 years old represent 55.83% of the total population over 60 years old, people between 70 and 79 years old represent 30.61% and people over 80 represent 13 .56%, according to China’s seventh national report. census in 2021.
Second, China will continue to enjoy demographic dividends despite a projected decline in its working-age population after 2012. The country’s working-age population, ages 16-59, is estimated to be more than 800 million. before 2040. According to the census, it was 880 million in 2020.
Third, the government has intensified its efforts to address the challenges posed by a rapidly aging society. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20), the central authorities streamlined related legal systems, improved the social insurance system, and promoted quality elderly care services. China had 329,000 nursing homes and other elderly care facilities with 8.21 million beds in 2020. And by the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, it will have more than 9 million beds for the elderly, with the 55% of them in elderly care. institutions
In addition, aging refers to the physiological changes that people experience as they age. The only worrying factor in aging is the lack of physical health and vitality.
According to the World Health Organization, 60 percent of individual health and quality of life problems are related to lifestyle. Humans cannot stop aging, but they can help maintain good physical health as they age, and a healthy lifestyle can help prevent and/or manage chronic disease.
Therefore, a key component of the “Healthy China 2030” plan, released in 2016, is the promotion of a healthy lifestyle and physical fitness. He says that maintaining good health is part of individual responsibility.
In addition, the goal of the central leadership is to build a “healthy China” by 2035. And thanks to the “Healthy China” initiative, China has made remarkable progress on the health front. For example, the average life expectancy of the Chinese increased to 77.93 years in 2020, with 37.2 percent of the population exercising regularly.
However, healthy aging means more than that. It means staying physically and mentally fit. As such, social adaptation, that is, the flexibility to adapt to the environment and its changes, is important for the health of older people.
Healthy aging also means ensuring that the majority of older people stay healthy. That is why healthy aging emphasizes the importance of the social environment. An aging society requires the integration of health protection and socioeconomic and cultural development. This means that health education must be provided to people at every stage of their lives, in order to control and prevent non-communicable diseases.
The 14th Five-Year Plan period is important for the government and society to address the challenges of population ageing. More importantly, individuals and families need to realize that healthy aging is linked to a healthy lifestyle and the maintenance of good physical health.
The author is deputy director of the Pangoal Institution Aging Society Research Center.
Opinions do not necessarily represent those of China Daily.
