On October 28, 2011, Xinhua republished an article originally from Xinmin Evening News titled “China Has the Most Elderly People in the World; 30 Million Men Will Have to Remain Single Due to the Gender Ratio Imbalance.”
According to last year’s national census data, 70% of China’s population is between 15 years old and 59 years old. Meanwhile, children under 14 years of age account for only 16% of the total population. Over the next 10 years, the proportion of young people in China will significantly decrease. In the 21st century, China will always have more elderly people than any other country in the world.
In addition to an aging population, another major challenge facing China is the gender imbalance at birth. At present, there are 15 million more males than females in China. The imbalance in the sex ratio will continue to rise over the next 10 years. As a result, nearly 30 million men will not be able to get married.
Source: Xinhua, October 28, 2011
http://pdf.news365.com.cn/xmpdf/20111028/XM111028A106.pdf
http://news.xinhuanet.com/society/2011-10/28/c_111131402.htm