In China, the number of elderly people has exceeded the number of young people for the first time

For the first time in China, the share of elderly people relative to the working-age population has exceeded the corresponding figure for children.

According to official statistics, the old-age dependency ratio reached 23%, while the child dependency ratio stood at 22%. These figures reflect changes in the age structure of the population and make it possible to assess the potential consequences of a shrinking labor force for the Chinese economy and global economic growth.

According to analysts, the new figures indicate a strengthening trend toward the aging of China's population. In the long term, this could increase the burden on families, the pension system, and the health care sector.

In recent years, the country's authorities have been taking measures in light of the expected growth in the number of elderly citizens.

At the same time, they are seeking to stimulate the birth rate, urging young people to start families and married couples to have more children.

According to China's National Bureau of Statistics, the number of citizens aged 65 and older exceeds 223 million people. That is almost 16% of the country's population. At the same time, the number of children aged 14 and under is about 213 million.

Chinese officials have not yet commented on the published figures. Meanwhile, the state-run publication Global Times linked the country's transition to a stage of moderate population aging to several factors, including the size of previous generations and increased life expectancy.

Source: CNN