China expands elderly care services with focus on community-based solutions

BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- China had a total of 410,000 elderly care institutions and facilities at the end of the second quarter this year, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said on Monday.

Of these, 369,000 were community-based elderly care facilities, reflecting a marked increase compared to 2019, when the numbers were roughly half their current levels, according to the ministry.

Specifically, the number of elderly care institutions has doubled, while that of community-based care facilities has grown by 120 percent over the same period.

The progress comes as China has been significantly expanding its elderly care services over recent years, with a particular emphasis on the development of at-home and community-based care. With its rapidly aging population, the country is under increasing pressure to provide sufficient care for its elderly citizens.

Official data show that there were 297 million people aged 60 and above in the country at the end of 2023, accounting for 21.1 percent of the total population. The number of people aged 65 and above reached 217 million, or 15.4 percent of the total. ■