China is facing an increasing social security burden with the
rapid growth of its ageing population, a senior official said
yesterday.
The ratio between active employees and the retired will reach
2.5 to 1 by 2020, said Li Bengong, executive deputy director of the
China National Committee on Ageing.
In 1990, it was 10:1 and rose to 3:1 in 2003, posing a "great
challenge" to the social welfare system, Li told a press
conference.
A white paper issued yesterday by the State Council Information
Office said that at the end of last year, China had nearly 144
million people aged over 60, accounting for 11 percent of its
population; and the number is rising by 3 percent every year.
In 1982, the number of elderly people accounted for 5 percent of
the total population; but in 1999, the figure reached 10 percent of
the total.
Li said the number of elderly people is expected to reach 248
million by 2020, and 437 million by 2051. The ageing population at
the end of the first half of the century will account for a fifth
of the world's total, according to estimates by the United
Nations.
"The demographic change from an 'adult society' to an ageing
society took only 18 years in China, compared to decades or even
hundreds of years in developed countries," he said.
In the United States, those aged 65 or above accounted for 12
percent of the population in 2004.
The white paper said the number of people participating in the
basic old-age insurance scheme across the country last year reached
175 million, 43.67 million of whom were retirees. But millions
more, especially in rural areas, have no welfare guarantees.
The soaring number of senior citizens has also brought
challenges to the health and medical system Li said medical
resources consumed by the aged were three to five times higher than
other age groups.
"As the number of the aged increases, the expenditure on basic
medical care is also growing rapidly."
Li said China has 16 million people aged over 80, many of them
living without children nearby. "The demands for efficient social
care for this group is great."
The current life expectancy is 72 years, compared with 49 years
in 1950.
A survey showed 5 percent of 144 million aged people, or about 7
million, wish to live in nursing homes. However, at the end of
2005, only 1.5 million beds were available at various care centres.
The government said it will add 2.2 million extra beds for the aged
in rural areas and 800,000 for urban residents within the next four
years.
To channel funds for medical care, China has been piloting a
co-operative medicare programme in rural areas since 2003.
By last June, the programme covered 495 million rural people,
including 73 percent of the elderly.
Outlays for the pension fund reached 350 billion yuan (US$43
billion) in 2004, a rise of 66 percent from 2000.
(China Daily December 13, 2006)