Arabic
Chinese (Simplified)
English
French
German
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish
Challenges and concerns surrounding China’s retirement age reform
By China Labour Bulletin
China is currently grappling with a pressing demographic challenge, marked by record-low birth rates and low retirement ages, leading to a continuous decline in the working-age population. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the working-age population dropped to 61.3% in 2023, down from 62% the previous year. The shrinking workforce and ageing population are increasingly straining China’s pension system. Current projections indicate that, without intervention, the social security system’s resources will be depleted by 2035.
In response to these challenges, the Chinese government announced a plan in March 2021 to gradually raise the retirement age to 65 by 2045. While this reform is a necessary step to address demographic issues, it has been met with significant backlash from workers who feel their concerns have not been adequately considered.
Source CLB
