Reforms mulled to tackle aging society issues

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2023-03-11 22:41

Most people regard living longer as a positive thing, but growing old in a rapidly aging society can also raise concerns.

In China, average life expectancy made a historic leap from 74.8 years in 2012 to 78.2 years in 2021, while the annual birthrate has been trending downward for decades. As a result, the number of seniors in the country rose to 280 million last year, accounting for nearly 20 percent of the total population, and touching the cusp of the official definition for a moderately aged society.

The aging trend has triggered discussions about whether China's ballooning senior population will drain public finances, strain the workforce and ultimately stymie economic growth in the coming years.

Concerns have also been growing about whether the country's senior care system can meet the demand.

The topic was also highlighted in two key reports distributed at the opening meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress on Sunday morning.

Premier Li Keqiang urged "improving elderly care services" when he delivered the Government Work Report.

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Meanwhile, a report prepared by the National Development and Reform Commission stated that senior care services that are affordable and integrated with home-based or community-level services and medical and rehabilitation services will be expanded.

Research into policies aimed at promoting the gray economy will also be strengthened, it added.

A draft plan for a major reshuffle of departments at the State Council, China's Cabinet, was unveiled on Tuesday for deliberation. It said China will improve the senior care work mechanism and strive to cover all such citizens via basic elderly care services.

Meanwhile, specific work on coordinating and promoting work for seniors, currently overseen by the National Health Commission, will be transferred to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, along with the National Working Committee on Aging.

In an interview with Guancha, an online media outlet, Zhang Lilong, a professor at the School of Economics at the Capital University of Economics and Business in Beijing, said that while the commission's strength lies in promoting the integration of medical and senior care services, the work also covers fields such as social security, psychological support and infrastructure.

"The civil affairs authorities are better at coordinating various aspects of senior care work. They control a large number of nursery care facilities and resources, as well as basic public facilities. Moreover, they are also more capable in terms of grassroots management and providing services in communities," he said.

Zhang added that the overall number of nursery care centers is insufficient, while there is a particular shortage of facilities qualified to look after seniors with disabilities and of professional caregivers. The gap between rural and urban areas is also prominent.

Transferring the responsibility from the NHC to the Ministry of Civil Affairs is a significant move designed to address those shortcomings, he added.