Seniors need more support

Seniors in China, especially those living in rural areas, require more financial support and nursing services from the government given shrinking family sizes, according to a survey released on Tuesday.

The survey, conducted by the China Research Center on Aging, said those over 60 years old had 3.2 children on average in 2010, down from four in 2000.

The survey that polled about 20,000 respondents aged over 60 nationwide in 2010 also showed that nearly half of the seniors live in "empty-nest" families with children far away.