On chinadaily.com.cn

Visit for breaking news and exclusive content

Society: Nursing homes more than triple in five years

The number of nursing homes in China has more than tripled in the past five years, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Statistics show that the country had more than 144,600 nursing institutions as of September. Medical services had been provided in 78.6 percent of the nursing homes by July. The ratio of beds for those incapable of taking care of themselves rose from less than 30 percent in 2015 to 46.4 percent last year. China had more than 230 million people aged 60 or above at the end of 2016, 16.7 percent of the total population, official data showed. The number was 194 million in 2012.