Older migrants on rise, need help, report says

More policy support is needed to help cities to integrate a rapidly growing number of older migrants, said a report released on Wednesday by the national health authority.

Migrants age 60 or over numbered 17.8 million last year, 7.2 percent of the total of 247 million migrants, the 2016 Report on China's Migrant Population Development showed. In 2010, there were 9.3 million in that demographic, 4.2 percent of a total of 221 million migrants.

The report, based on surveys and monitoring by the National Health and Family Planning Commission, said the average age of migrants has risen from 27.9 in 2013 to 29.3.