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Health Care Science 2023, 2(5): 317-327 https://doi.org/10.1002/hcs2.64
Review | Open Access | Issue | Published: 09 October 2023

China's aging population: A review of living arrangement, intergenerational support, and wellbeing

Show Author's Information Litao Zhao ( )
National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
Keywords:
wellbeing, population aging, living arrangement, intergenerational support, filial piety
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Zhao L. China's aging population: A review of living arrangement, intergenerational support, and wellbeing. Health Care Science, 2023, 2(5): 317-327. https://doi.org/10.1002/hcs2.64
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Abstract Full text About this article

China's rapid population aging and remarkable family‐level changes have raised concerns about the weakening of its family‐based elderly care. The last decade indeed has seen a clear departure from multigenerational living to alternative living arrangements such as living with spouse only and solo living. However, ample evidence suggests that Chinese families have demonstrated considerable resilience amidst profound sociodemographic changes. This review article highlights the importance of government–society cooperation in meeting the social challenges of population aging. A key factor is the persistient filial piety norms, which enable children living far or close, migrant or nonmigrant, to rearrange financial, instrumental, and emotional support to aging parents. Equally important is the step‐in of the government to share elderly care responsibilities, provide support through deepening pension and healthcare reforms, and implement the active and healthy aging agenda. How the two factors play out over the next decade and beyond will have profound implications on the living arrangement, intergenerational support, and wellbeing of older adults in China.


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About this article

China's aging population: A review of living arrangement, intergenerational support, and wellbeing

Show Author's information Litao Zhao ( )
National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

Abstract

China's rapid population aging and remarkable family‐level changes have raised concerns about the weakening of its family‐based elderly care. The last decade indeed has seen a clear departure from multigenerational living to alternative living arrangements such as living with spouse only and solo living. However, ample evidence suggests that Chinese families have demonstrated considerable resilience amidst profound sociodemographic changes. This review article highlights the importance of government–society cooperation in meeting the social challenges of population aging. A key factor is the persistient filial piety norms, which enable children living far or close, migrant or nonmigrant, to rearrange financial, instrumental, and emotional support to aging parents. Equally important is the step‐in of the government to share elderly care responsibilities, provide support through deepening pension and healthcare reforms, and implement the active and healthy aging agenda. How the two factors play out over the next decade and beyond will have profound implications on the living arrangement, intergenerational support, and wellbeing of older adults in China.

Keywords: wellbeing, population aging, living arrangement, intergenerational support, filial piety

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Publication history

Received: 05 April 2023
Accepted: 21 August 2023
Published: 09 October 2023
Issue date: October 2023

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© 2023 The Authors. Tsinghua University Press.

Acknowledgements

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author would like to thank Professor Wong Tien Yin for the invitation to write this review. The author has no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or nonfinancial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

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This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution‐NonCommercial‐NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non‐commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.

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