From ageing process to ageing problem: will China confront the most serious ageing problems in the world?

Xiaochun Qiao, Peking University

This paper will start by comparison of the level and the speed of aging process between China and other countries in the world. The data show that the level of aging in China will not be as high as that of most developed countries, but the speed of aging will be among the fastest one in the world in the first half of the century. Putting the aging process into socioeconomic, institutional, and cultural context, compared with other countries, China is under less developed level in economy, worse health status of their people, smaller number of the people secured by social security, faster shrink of number of children as the sources of family support and care of the elderly, and more unconscious and unprepared settings for couple’s old life due to lack of family support which caused by forced family planning. Such factors will be compared through empirical analysis.