Beijing is expected to become a “super-aged” society by 2035, when more than one-third of its population will be aged 60 or older, highlighting the growing challenge of supporting an ageing population in the Chinese capital.
The city had 5.288 million permanent residents aged 60 and above at the end of 2025, accounting for 24.3% of its total population, according to figures published by the official Beijing Daily and carried on the Beijing municipal government’s website. The proportion is projected to exceed 33% by 2035, meaning roughly one in every three residents will be an older person.
The demographic shift is increasing pressure on Beijing to expand elderly-care services, strengthen pension provision and improve access to medical care, while China faces a broader population decline and a shrinking workforce.
Beijing expands elderly-care infrastructure
Beijing is already expanding its care network as the number of older residents rises. By the latest figures reported by the municipal government, the city has 620 registered operating elderly-care institutions, 168 regional elderly-care service centres and more than 1,500 community-based elderly-care service stations. Together, these facilities provide about 155,000 elderly-care beds.
The city is also strengthening services for older people who continue to live at home. Nearly 3,000 registered elderly meal-service locations operate across Beijing, covering about 90% of urban and rural communities, according to the official report. Authorities plan to establish 30,000 additional home-based care beds over the next three years.
Financial assistance is another part of the response. Beijing distributed approximately 3.51 billion yuan in elderly-care subsidies in 2025, benefiting vulnerable, disabled and older residents on nearly 11.96 million occasions. The city has also adjusted the payment mechanism for monthly allowances of 100 yuan for residents aged 80 to 89.
For the 2026-2030 planning period, Beijing intends to expand affordable elderly-care provision, increase the share of nursing-care beds in elderly-care institutions to 73% and develop specialised services for people living with dementia. By 2030, more than 95% of the city’s secondary-level and higher general hospitals are expected to have dedicated geriatric medicine departments.
China’s demographic challenge extends beyond the capital
Beijing’s ageing trajectory reflects a wider demographic challenge for China, where falling birth rates and rising life expectancy are reshaping the relationship between the working-age population and retirees.
China’s population has been declining since 2022, according to Reuters. The country’s demographic transition threatens to reduce the supply of workers while increasing demand for pensions, healthcare and long-term care. It also complicates Beijing’s efforts to boost domestic consumption and manage economic pressures linked to debt.
The financial implications extend beyond public healthcare and pension budgets. A smaller working-age population can constrain labour supply and economic output, while a growing retired population may require greater public and household spending on medical treatment, assisted living and everyday support.
China is also attempting to encourage more births. Reuters estimates that initiatives aimed at boosting fertility could cost the government approximately 180 billion yuan, or $26.92 billion, in 2026. Such measures face a long time horizon: even if birth rates rise, newborns will take years to enter the workforce, offering no immediate solution to the country’s ageing problem.
For Beijing, the immediate priority is therefore to adapt public services and social protection to an older population while maintaining the capacity of its economy to support them. The city’s plans for expanded community care, medical services and pension support indicate the scale of that adjustment.
The projected threshold in 2035 is not simply a milestone in population statistics. It represents a structural change in the demands placed on China’s capital, with implications for public expenditure, the labour market, families and the delivery of essential services.
FAQs
1. When will Beijing become a super-aged society?
Beijing is projected to become a super-aged society by 2035, when people aged 60 and above are expected to account for more than 33% of its population.
2. How many elderly people live in Beijing?
Beijing had 5.28 million permanent residents aged 60 and above at the end of 2025, representing 24.3% of its population.
3. Why is China’s ageing population an economic concern?
An ageing population can shrink the available workforce, increase pension and healthcare expenditure, and weaken consumption growth if fewer working-age people support a growing retired population.
4. What is Beijing doing to support older residents?
The city is expanding elderly-care facilities, community meal services, home-based care, pension support and access to geriatric medical services.
5. Is China’s population declining?
Yes. China’s population has been declining since 2022, adding to concerns about its workforce, fertility rate and long-term economic growth.
Srinivas Chakravarty