Ageing in China: Present Situation and Strategies/ Vieillissement de la Population en Chine: Statu Quo Et Contre-Mesure (Report‪)‬

According to UNESCO's definition, if the percentage of population in the 60-and-over age group accounts for 10% or above of the total population of the country or region, or if the percentage of population in the 65-and-over age group accounts for 7% or above of the total population of the country or region, the country or the region has entered the ageing society. The ageing of population is the main feature of human development in the 21st century, which has become a hot issue of concern by the world's governments and societies. With the economic development and the improvement of health care conditions, people's life expectancy is growing longer and longer, and old people will account for a higher percentage in the total population in society. An ageing society is an inevitable trend of social development process. China is the most populous country in the world, which also boasts the largest number of old people. The result of the 5th Population Census showed that, on October 31th 2000, the number of old people over 60 years old has reached 130 million, accounting for 10.45% of the total population, among which the number of old people over 65 years old was 88.11 million, 7.09% (2) of the total population. According to the UN, China has become a country with an ageing population. This paper summarizes the basic present situation, the developmental trends and the basic features of population ageing in China. It also analyzes the responsibilities of national system, community construction and family providing for the aged and professional social workers in ageing trends. It intends to make suggestions about our social ageing trends.