Arya News - The population of China – currently the second most populated country after India – has been shrinking since 2022 and is reportedly ageing rapidly.
BEIJING – Beijing, the capital of China, is expected to become “super-aged” by 2035, with nearly one-third of its total population aged 60 and above.
On Saturday, the official Beijing Daily reported that one is every three residents of the Chinese capital will be aged 60 or above by 2035.
At the end of last year, the city had 5.29 million permanent residents aged 60 and above – about one-quarter of its population.
The news outlet added that Beijing’s government is stepping up support for elderly residents, such as raising the basic pension.
The policymakers in China have made population planning a major highlight of the country’s economic strategy, with the government facing a total potential cost of around 180 billion yuan ($26.92 billion) to boost births this year, as per Reuters estimates.
Notably, the population of China – currently the second most populated country after India – has been shrinking since 2022 and is reportedly ageing rapidly. This is complicated government plans to boost domestic consumption and rein in debt, with a large number of people set to leave the workforce at a time when pension budgets are already stretched, according to Reuters.