China's families are now supporting more old people than kids
Summary
China’s official figures show that dependent people aged 65 and older outnumbered children aged 14 and under in 2025, for the first time. The shift reflects a falling birth rate and longer life expectancy, and could increase pressure on pensions, health care and long-term care as China’s workforce shrinks.Key Facts
- The ratio of dependent elderly people to the working-age population reached 23% in 2025, compared with 22% for children.
- China had more than 223 million people aged 65 and older, nearly 16% of its population.
- About 213 million people in China were aged 14 and under.
- China’s one-child policy ran from 1980 to the end of 2015; the government estimates it prevented about 400 million births, though that estimate has been disputed.
- China has eased family-size restrictions but has struggled to persuade couples to have more children as birth rates have fallen to historic lows.
- More than 53 million elderly people received senior citizen allowances and subsidies by the end of 2025, according to official figures.
- China included additional support for older people in its five-year economic blueprint announced earlier in 2026.
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