China’s Policy Responses on Ageing

Du PengInstitute of Gerontology, Renmin University of China

Outline

Population ageing in China

Policy response

Country experience and key mechanisms

I. Population aging in China

By the end of 2012

194 million(60+), 14.3%

113 million(65+), 9.3%

Pensioners: 200 million

Projected increase of Aged population by 2050

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

60岁65岁80岁

Ageing trend

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

2001

2006

2011

2016

2021

2026

2031

2036

2041

2046

2051

2056

2061

2066

2071

2076

2081

2086

2091

2096

Mill

ions

year

60 +

65+

80 +

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

不能

自理

人数

（万

人）

2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026 2028 2030 2032 2034 2036 2038 2040 2042 2044 2046 2048 2050

年份

4 2004-2050图 中国生活不能自理老年人口预测， 年

女性

男性

Projection of long term care needs

Female

Male

Year

Nu

mb

er in

10,

000

Key challenges for China

How to slow down the ageing process

How to protect the rights of the elderly

How to provide the care services

II. Most critical national policies

Changing the Family Planning Policy

TFR now is 1.6

Aim: keep the TFR around 1.8

avoid too low or too high fertility

Policy: one child couple to have 2 children

all couples to have 2 children

Protecting the right

Revision of the Law on Protecting the Rights and Benefits of Older Persons in 2012

The law took into effect in 1997, after the 15 years practice and the socioeconomic development, it has to be revised to meet the changing social needs, such as to share the responsibility of elderly support between family members and government, to regulate the institutional care and community care services, to promote intergenerational solidarity, to encourage older persons’ social participation and the promotion of age friendly environments.

Care services

To establish the social service system for the older persons.

For the first time in China, the central government announced in late 2011 a national plan to establish the social service system for the older persons, the key contents include developing the community services to support the older persons and their family members to live as long as possible at their homes and the strategy to develop the institutional care and improve the quality of care.

Aim: by the end of 2015, China will have more than 6 million beds available for institutional care (currently 4 million beds), which will enable 3 per cent older persons to get the care services at the nursing homes.

III. China’s experience and key mechanisms

How to turn national policy into action at sub-national level;

Population policy

Provincial regulations following the national policy.

Rural/urban policy differences: 5 provinces to allow all rural couples to have 2 children.

Eastern low fertility areas to change the policy first.

Protecting the rights of older persons

Committees on ageing at all levels.

Provincial regulations revised.

Provincial 5 years plan and indicators. (9073 or 9064).

Monitoring statistical systems.

Annual reports on ageing causes.

Care services

State council: promoting the elderly services.

Province: detailed policies.

State: increase the beds of nursing homes.

provincial level: subsidy the construction and running.

Institutional care: setting and management regulations regarding beds and personnel.

Community care: integrating the community centres.

Roles of each level and role of older people

Coordinating agency and specific roles.

Detailed regulations to implement policy.

Operational evaluation indicators.

Survey of the older persons to collect comments and to improve the policy.

OPA to voice the needs and policy.

Thanks for attention