Population Aging and its Impact on China’s High-Quality Economic Development

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-811-0_107How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Population Aging; Labor Market Dynamics; Consumption Restructuring; Silver Economy; Sustainable Development

Abstract

China is undergoing one of the most rapid demographic transitions in modern history, with profound implications for its economic future. By 2035, more than 30% of the population will be aged 60 or older, a shift driven by a record-low fertility rate of 1.16 and rising life expectancy, which reached 78.2 years in 2022. This paper examines two major economic consequences of population aging: labor market contraction and consumption restructuring. Empirical data show that between 2011 and 2022, China’s working-age population (15–59 years) declined by 50 million, leading to severe labor shortages in key industries. Manufacturing firms in Guangdong and Zhejiang, for instance, report workforce deficits exceeding 20%, accelerating investments in automation technologies. At the same time, household spending on elderly healthcare has surged to 15.2% of total budgets, while the smart eldercare market—including health monitors and assistive robotics—generated ¥50 billion in revenue in 2023, marking a 120% year-on-year increase. Regional disparities further complicate this transition, with rural elderly facing significantly lower access to healthcare and leisure services compared to their urban counterparts. To address these challenges, this study proposes policy measures such as expanding automation, reforming retirement systems, strengthening rural pensions, and strategically investing in the “silver economy.” If implemented effectively, these strategies could help China transform demographic challenges into opportunities for sustainable, high-quality growth.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Zhaohan Song
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/08/14
TI  - Population Aging and its Impact on China’s High-Quality Economic Development
BT  - Proceedings of the 2025 5th International Conference on Enterprise Management and Economic Development (ICEMED 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 992
EP  - 998
SN  - 2352-5428
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-811-0_107
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-811-0_107
ID  - Song2025
ER  -