Since 1970, the median age of China’s population has continued to increase from around 20 years to around 37.5 years in 2020. According to estimates from the United Nations, the increasing trend will slow down when the median age will reach 50 years in the middle of the 21st century and will remain at around 60 years up to 2100.
China’s aging population
Although the median age of China’s population is still lower than in many developed countries, for example in Japan, the consequences of a rapidly aging population have already become a concern for the country’s future. As the most populated country in the world, the large labor force in China contributed to the country’s astonishing economic growth in the last decades. Nowadays however, the aging population is going to become a burden for China’s social welfare system and could change China’s economic situation.
Reasons for the aging population
Like in many other countries, increasing life expectancy is regarded as the main reason for the aging of the population. As healthcare and living standards have improved, life expectancy in China has also increased. In addition, the one-child policy led to a decreasing fertility rate in China, which further increased the share of older people in the society. Even though the one-child policy has been abolished in 2016, many young people are refraining from having children, largely due to the high costs of raising a child, career pressure and the pursuit of freedom.
Median age of the population in China from 1950 to 2100
(in years)
According to the source, the variable age median describes the age that divides the population in two parts of equal size. This means that exactly half of the population is older than, and half of the population is younger than the median age.
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United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). (July 12, 2024). Median age of the population in China from 1950 to 2100 (in years) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved February 18, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/232265/mean-age-of-the-chinese-population/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). "Median age of the population in China from 1950 to 2100 (in years)." Chart. July 12, 2024. Statista. Accessed February 18, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/232265/mean-age-of-the-chinese-population/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). (2024). Median age of the population in China from 1950 to 2100 (in years). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: February 18, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/232265/mean-age-of-the-chinese-population/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). "Median Age of The Population in China from 1950 to 2100 (in Years)." Statista, Statista Inc., 12 Jul 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/232265/mean-age-of-the-chinese-population/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), Median age of the population in China from 1950 to 2100 (in years) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/232265/mean-age-of-the-chinese-population/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed (last visited February 18, 2025)
Median age of the population in China from 1950 to 2100 (in years) [Graph], United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), July 12, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/232265/mean-age-of-the-chinese-population/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed