Beijing’s population to enter super-aged phase by 2035

Beijing will become a “super-aged” city by 2035, with one-third of its population aged 60 or over, as China faces a rapidly ageing population and declining fertility.

By the end of 2025, Beijing’s permanent population of 60 and above was 5.29 million, nearly a quarter of the population, according to the official Beijing Daily on Saturday.

According to the newspaper, the city’s support for senior residents is growing, including rising basic pension contributions and steps to improve elderly care services.

The demographic change also poses increasing economic difficulties for China, which has been experiencing population decline since 2022. An ageing population would lead to a decline in the labour force, to increased strain on pension and health care systems and to a decline in consumer demand in the long run.

Chinese officials have tried to make attracting children a priority. The government may be on the hook for a potential $26.92 billion in this year alone for measures to increase birth rates – an estimated 180 billion yuan, Reuters reported.

The downsizing of the world’s largest population poses a challenge for Beijing, economists and demographers have said, with the slowdown in numbers leading to fewer households and weaker consumption growth for years to come.

The ageing trend extends beyond the capital, as China grapples with demographic pressures driven by longer lifespans and low birth rates.