China's Aging Population

China braced for pensioner boom
Around 7.5% of the Chinese population is over 65, but in the next quarter century that number will increase to 30%. It will be one of the greatest demographic changes in history.

"The pressure on the working age population will be much bigger than before," said Professor Peng Xizhe, a population expert, at Shanghai's Fudan University.

"Ageing is mainly caused by China's population control programmes in the past. At the beginning stage of the one-child policy... no one really realised that ageing would be such a serious population or social problem," he added.

The drop in fertility caused by the so-called one-child policy is beginning to feed through into the working population.

This generation of Chinese pensioners are supported by at least six workers paying taxes. In 30 years time there will only be three workers for every Chinese pensioner.

And as China's population ages, it will become less economically productive, according to Professor Peng.