China’s Population Aging Problem And Challenges

China’s Aging Problem Name Institutional Affiliation China’s Aging Problem China’s recent economic growth has made headlines all over the world. However, an emerging issue about China’s aging population has started gaining popularity. The aging population is increasing at an alarming rate, which raises a number of questions. What are the critical issues behind the aging problem in China? What challenges does this trend present for the Chinese society? How does the aging rate compare with other countries in the world? Currently, approximately 194 million people are above 60 years old, and this number is estimated to skyrocket to over 440 million by the year 2050 (Wyse, 2013). These figures indicate that the problem will intensify with time. China is the most populous country in the world. In the mid 20th century, the country’s population was increasing at an alarming rate, which necessitated the need to create measures to control the population. In the late 1970s, the Chinese government started to implement population control measures; the one-child policy (China Power Team, 2017). The policy limited the couples to a single child, which reduced the fertility rate in the country dramatically. Later, in 2014, the government extended this policy, allowing couples to have 2 children, which ended the one-child policy era. Coincidentally, during this period, the Chinese government put extra efforts in improving access to health care in the country. This was facilitated by the introduction of “barefoot doctors” program, which equipped Chinese youths in offering basic health care to the population in rural areas (China Power Team, 2017). As a result, life expectancy in China increased significantly. The one-child policy, increased health care and raised life expectancy have been the contributing factors in the Chinese aging problem. Well, improved health care access and life expectancy should be viewed as positive factors in any country. How did these positive factors create a negative impact on the Chinese demographics? The rapid economic growth in the country has been contributed by the energetic young workforce in the country. There has been a massive movement of young generations from the rural areas to the urban areas. The country’s economic transformation has created significant social changes. Initially, the country was made up of farmers, with the traditional family setting structures. However, the late 20th and early 21st century have been characterized by urban migration, especially by the young generation leaving th...