Caregiver Shortage Looms Over China as Elderly Care Costs Set to Double, Study Shows

China is facing a looming eldercare crisis, with the economic cost of caring for the country’s disabled seniors projected to top 1.19 trillion yuan ($180 billion) by 2035. To manage the surging demand, the nation will need more than 52 million caregivers.

A newly published demographic study highlights the severe financial and logistical strain that China’s rapidly aging population will place on families and the broader economy over the next decade. As the number of elderly citizens unable to perform basic daily tasks swells, the demand for both formal and informal care is rapidly outpacing the country’s demographic capacity.