Beijing develops elderly care system as population ages

Beijing plans to further develop its elderly care system by focusing on social security, elderly services, and health support to address the challenges of an aging population, according to information released at the Beijing Sijiqing Forum of Elderly Care Industry Development on Friday.

By the end of 2025, the city's number of residents aged 60 and above reached nearly 5.3 million, accounting for 24.3 percent of the total population, an official said during the forum. Data released at the forum projects that by 2035, the age bracket will exceed one-third of the city's population.

The capital is already deep in development to address the demographic shift. Beijing has been expanding meal assistance services and elderly care facilities in recent years. Nearly 3,000 meal assistance shops with affordable prices and dedicated dishes have been opened, providing more than 14 million meal services by the end of 2025. Additionally, there are 207 hospitals or community-based service centers with 59,000 beds offering medical and care services for the elderly.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), Beijing aims to advance its multi-tiered elderly insurance system to link welfare and aid policies for the elderly. The city plans to coordinate government and market resources to strengthen community-based services, with a focus on meeting the needs of the oldest or disabled elderly populations, according to the forum.

Beijing also intends to continue integrating medical and elderly care by encouraging the co-location or close proximity related facilities. This will help the formation of medical and elderly care alliances, making it easier for elderly residents to access medical care and health management.

By 2030, over 95 percent of large hospitals at the second-tier or above in Beijing are expected to have geriatric departments, expanding on the 13,000 enterprises that already offer elderly care services, according to the information from the forum.