Aging Speed in China's Population AcceleratedThe aging speed in China's population is further intensifying and the senile tendency will obviously be speeding up in the coming 21st century. The senile population of over 80 years old in the mid 21st century will be seven times that of today, or not less than 80 million, taking up one fifth of those of 60, according to Wu Cangping, demographic professor of Renmin University.Wu said that the development of medical science might make China have more people in senility during the 21st century than we can foretell now. Aside from that, knowledge economy, information economy and economic globalization will exert profound influence on China's industry structure and social life, particularly on the agricultural sector and farmers' life and production. The discrepancy in earnings among urban residents will be widened. Wu reminded that as the frail group of society, the old citizens, especially those of the advanced age, are often and liable to suffer from unfavorable influences in a society of high-speed development. ���� Wu further pointed out that the 21st century is an era of longevity. A prominent feature of the era is the cropping-up of centennial people in numbers. The increase of these people is an inevitable outcome of the aging tendency. The first population census conducted in 1953 told a total of 3,384 centennial people and that in 1990 indicated to be of 6,681, and China will as predicted have 470,000 centennial people by the year 2050. As a result, China will by then become a country with the largest group of senile population in the world. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ |