Aging Challenges and Cities’ Countermeasures in China

China is aging rapidly, with more and more senior people living in cities in the future. People aged 60 years and above reached 310 million in 2024 and is likely to reach 487 million in 2050. However, city planning and construction, as well as infrastructure and service provision today is mainly designed without necessary consideration of the senior people in mind. They need to be adjusted to fit the changing lifestyle and needs of the elderly, so that they can age in place and enjoy good quality of life. In addition to policies on social security and pension reforms, senior health care and life-long education, policies targeting the physical environment and facilities for the aging society in cities are equally important and affect the day-to-day experience of the elderly. The study, funded by the Urban Research Department of the World Bank, aims to explore the key issues in face of population aging in China: a)urbanization challenges in China associated with aging, e.g. market failure or absence of institutional arrangement or lack of funding; b) possible options for addressing the issues, especially those that have not been considered by the government; and c) a few indicators to monitor progress and measure success.