New trends in population aging and challenges for China’s sustainable development

ABSTRACT Population aging has increasingly become one of the most urgent problems in China. This paper reveals new trends in population aging in China and possible impacts on social and economic development in the future. We find that China will encounter the largest wave of population aging in the next 30 years, characterized by more individuals among the oldest-olds, more empty-nest elderly, and greater elderly dependency. These trends will impose challenges for China’s sustainable development on the supply and demand sides in the long term. Consequently, it is not only necessary to improve the old-age security system, but also to implement more innovative strategies to deepen human resource development, including among the older population.