China's 'empty-nest families' on rise

Beijing, July 28 (IANS) In China, the number of people aged above 60 and left to live on their own by their children for studies or employment is witnessing a surge. The trend is anticipated to increase strain on the care services meant for the elderly.

Such families are sometimes described as "empty-nest" families in the country, reported China Daily.

According to the Economic Information Daily, statistics showed that at the end of 2010, there were 38,060 care service institutions for the elderly in the country.

Those institutions had 2.66 million beds and housed 2.11 million elderly people, which represented only about 1.60 percent of the elderly population, much lower than the average level of 5 to 7 percent in more developed countries, it added.

At the end of 2009, China had nearly 167 million people above 60, which accounted for around 12.5 percent of the population.

But by the end of 2010, the country had nearly 178 million people above 60, which accounted for around 13.26 percent of the population, according to the National Statistic Bureau.

"At the end of 2020, China is expected to have 248 million people above 60, which will account for 17.2 percent of the country's population," says Yan Qingchun, vice-president of the China National Committee on Aging.

"And at the end of the 22nd century, the number of China's elderly people is expected to surge to 318 million, which will be over 31 percent of the population," Yan added.