This Day, That Year

Item from Dec 18, 1995: In China, people over 60 will represent more than 10 percent of the total population by the end of the 20th century. Nursing homes are increasingly seen by social experts and family members as a solution.

Last year, the number of elderly citizens aged 60 and above topped 230 million, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs - 16.7 percent of the country's population. The figure is expected to increase to 17.8 percent by 2020 and 25 percent by 2030.

However, services catering to the needs of the elderly are seriously lagging. China has more than 28,000 registered institutions for eldercare with only about 7 million beds, the ministry said.