https://noage100.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Evandro-F.-Fang_Adapting-health-economic-and-social-policies-to-address-population-ageing-in-China_Nature-Ageign.pdf

https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-025-00999-8

nature aging  

Review Article

Published: 31 October 2025

Adapting health, economic, and social policies to address population aging in China

Evandro F. Fang, Yuan Fang, Guobing Chen, He-Ling Wang, Jianying Zhang, Chenkai Wu, Jing Liao, Chenglong Xie, Xiaoting Liu, Kan Wang, Yang Liu, Guang Yang, Qian Wang, Long-Tao He, Jun Li, Hou-Zao Chen, Lin Kang, Yawen Jiang, Huanxing Su, Hong Jiang, Na He, Jun Tao, Sean Xiao Leng, Richard C. Siow, Chunrong Liu, Hafiz T. A. Khan, Yuanli Liu, Hisaya Kato, Takashi Sasaki, Jong In Kim, Andrea Britta Maier, Lin Zhang, Lene Juel Rasmussen, Jean Woo, Jing Wu & Huachun Zou Show fewer authors.

Nature Aging volume 5, pages2176–2187 (2025). Cite this article.

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Abstract

Despite its rapid economic rise over the past four decades, China now grapples with the challenge of accommodating and supporting its expanding aging population. In 2020, 18% of its population were over age 60, and 2.5% were over age 80, projected to rise to 39% and 10%, respectively, by 2050. This demographic shift places China at the forefront of diverse individual, familial, and societal challenges. Here, we review these challenges in the context of emerging breakthroughs in basic and translational research, shifts in healthcare paradigms, evolving socioeconomic and political dynamics, and policy innovations. We synthesize China’s current policies toward promoting healthy longevity in the general population, focusing on social health insurance, long-term care insurance, community and home-based care, and palliative care, as well as gerontological research, public health prevention, nutritional and medical interventions, while identifying strengths and gaps. Finally, we propose suggestions to promote a more inclusive, resilient, and happier aging society within China’s distinctive sociopolitical and cultural context.