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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Beijing, February 4 (Xinhua) — Population aging is a common challenge facing many countries around the world. China, a country with a population of over 1.4 billion, is currently actively implementing a national strategy to proactively address its aging population.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) of China, by the end of 2025, the country's elderly population aged 60 and over will reach 323 million, accounting for approximately 23 percent of the country's total population. The number of elderly people over 65 will reach 223 million (15.9 percent of the total population).
With the aging population deepening, the “silver economy,” which is based on meeting the growing and diverse needs of an aging population, is growing rapidly.
In early 2026, China launched new policies aimed at improving the well-being of the elderly and unlocking their consumption potential, aiming to turn the “silver economy” into a new driver of economic growth.
A document titled "Measures for Developing Elderly Care Businesses and Promoting the Development of the 'Silver Economy'" was released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and other departments in January. According to industry experts, thanks to this policy support, the "silver economy" in China is moving forward toward high-quality development.
NEW POTENTIAL FOR DOMESTIC DEMAND
"Developing a silver economy is vital to addressing the challenges of an aging population and improving people's well-being. It also plays a key role in cultivating new drivers of economic growth and expanding domestic demand," said Li Banghua, Director of the Department of Elderly Care Services at the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
According to the State Information Center, the market size of China's "silver economy" reached 8.3 trillion yuan in 2024, and is expected to exceed 20 trillion yuan by 2030.
Currently, the "silver economy" in China is no longer associated solely with "wheelchairs," "nursing homes," "healthy food," and so on. As the consumer demand of the elderly becomes more diversified, intelligent, and high-quality, the content of the concept of the "silver economy" is also enriched.
Nankai University Professor Zhu Hui believes that the consumption patterns of the elderly are undergoing profound changes. Consumer preferences in this population group are gradually shifting from basic needs such as clothing, food, housing, and transportation to consumption based on quality and pleasure, which offers enormous potential.
Compared to those born in the 1940s and 1950s, the "new generation of seniors" born after the 1960s have significantly different consumer options, habits, and preferences. They place greater emphasis on health, tourism and leisure, home care, digital life, and other aspects of consumption. This is generating new demand and leading to the emergence of new industries.
According to statistics, as of June 2025, there were 161 million internet users aged 60 and over in China. This means that one in two seniors has access to a digital life. From scanning codes when shopping to scheduling doctor appointments, from video calls to expressing themselves, the internet has already become an integral part of everyday life for seniors in China.
A survey of 2,000 internet users aged 55 to 83 conducted by Beijing Normal University found that over 75 percent of respondents had experience creating short videos, and over 27 percent frequently posted short videos on social media. They primarily document their daily lives, share culinary skills, disseminate health knowledge, and showcase their talents.
"The Stuttering Father" is a blogger with over 5 million followers on social media. He retired in 2017 and now lives with his family in Dalian (Liaoning Province, Northeast China). To liven up his boring life as a retiree, he and his wife decided to make short videos. The first time he made a video, he stuttered slightly and was nervous in front of the camera. He never expected that this stuttering video would mark the beginning of his "new life." Now, he uses his camera to share humorous stories about everyday life in this coastal city with his entire family.
NEW TRENDS IN THE SUPPLY SPHERE
Faced with the huge size of the elderly population and their increasingly diverse service needs, it is necessary to find an answer to the question of how to further unlock the consumption potential of older people and create a consumption environment that is favorable for them.
The above-mentioned document sets out the need to optimize the supply of elderly care services and products aimed at creating favorable conditions for the elderly.
Li Qiang, an official at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, stated that China will continue to promote the high-quality development of the elderly care industry, as well as the popularization and application of smart elderly care services. Key areas such as robots for elderly care and the promotion of humanoid robots will be emphasized.
As the population ages, robots have moved from science fiction to reality.
At a nursing home in Chengdu (the capital of Sichuan Province, southwest China), a humanoid robot called "Kuafu" helps elderly people stretch their bones and practice Tai Chi Chuan exercises. This robot can not only tell stories to the elderly but also interact with them, hold conversations, and act as a guide during family visits. At a rehabilitation center in Beijing's Fengtai District, several elderly people are testing out exoskeleton robots that help them walk. "I used to be unable to walk without assistance, but now I'm training with the robot and can walk independently for 10 minutes," said a man surnamed Zhang.
In addition to the consumer goods market, the tourism industry is also paying more attention to unlocking the potential of the “silver economy”.
The Silver Train is a tourist train designed primarily for senior travelers, meeting their specific needs. It is extremely popular among seniors. By 2024, 1,860 such trains had been launched in China, carrying over 1 million passengers.
On June 11, 2025, a "silver" tourist train carrying over 720 passengers departed from Dalian Railway Station, beginning a 20-day journey to Xinjiang. "Many tourist tours are too intense, and we return completely exhausted. The routes of these special tourist trains are very relaxed, with ample time allocated to each attraction. We can fully enjoy the trip and still have a good rest," said Wang Jian, a 55-year-old passenger from Dalian.
FOCUS ON THE HAPPINESS OF OLDER PEOPLE
The happiness of older people is crucial for society as a whole. High-quality development of the "silver economy" is inseparable from the participation and support of people of all ages.
As China's population aging accelerates, previously overlooked new types of consumer goods or services are becoming the new pillars of the burgeoning "silver economy."
For example, games and toys for the elderly – these educational games, once considered children's play, are quickly becoming a new hobby for the elderly.
Searches for "toys for the elderly" on Taobao, one of China's leading e-commerce platforms, grew by 124 percent year-on-year, while transaction volume increased by more than 70 percent. Consumers aged 55 and older now make up a growing share of shoppers, and their purchase frequency is increasing. As the market expands, more and more toy manufacturers across China are shifting their focus to meet the needs of older consumers.
The growing number of elderly people is a key driver of consumption and domestic demand, noted Yuan Xin, a professor at Nankai University. "We need to accelerate the high-quality development of the 'silver economy,' which involves the deep integration of new products, new business models, and new industries in the field of elderly care," he added.
During the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), Chinese authorities will continue to comprehensively implement the national strategy to actively respond to population aging and strive to continuously enhance the sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security among the country's numerous elderly citizens, said Chinese Minister of Civil Affairs Lu Zhiyuan in an interview with Xinhua News Agency.
According to him, within the framework of this national strategy, China will accelerate the improvement of the system for providing services for a dignified old age, develop measures to support the high-quality development of the "silver economy", and optimize the environment for the development of the "silver economy".
The Chinese authorities will comprehensively promote the construction of a society focused on the needs of the elderly, make active efforts to build facilities aimed at creating a barrier-free environment and favorable conditions for the elderly, and provide high-quality services to the elderly, he concluded. -0-
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