China’s Vice Minister of Civil Affairs in Beijing recently said that, for a long period of time, China will be facing the serious challenge of having an aging population. As of the end of 2012, the population of elderly who were 60 years and above had reached 194 million, accounting for 14.3 percent of the total population. That figure is expected to exceed 200 million in 2013, 400 million by 2034, and 472 million by 2054.
According to statistics, China currently has 36 million elderly who are disabled, 22 million who are of an advanced age, 99 million who live alone, and 23 million who are living in poverty.
Source: People’s Daily, May 2, 2013
http://cppcc.people.com.cn/n/2013/0502/c34948-21342382.html