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.

This statistic shows the leading countries with the highest projected median age in 2050. By 2050, the Republic of Korea is projected to have the population with the highest median age, at 56.5 years.

According to the age distribution of China's population in 2024, approximately 68.6 percent of the population were in their working age between 15 and 64 years of age. Retirees aged 65 years and above made up about 15.6 percent of the total population. Age distribution in China As can be seen from this statistic, the age pyramid in China has been gradually shifting towards older demographics during the past decade. Mainly due to low birth rates in China, the age group of 0 to 14 year-olds has remained at around 16 to 17 percent since 2010, whereas the age groups 65 years and over have seen growth of nearly seven percentage points. Thus, the median age of the Chinese population has been constantly rising since 1970 and is forecast to reach 52 years by 2050. Accompanied by a slightly growing mortality rate of more than 7 per thousand, China is showing strong signs of an aging population. China's aging society The impact of this severe change in demographics is the subject of an ongoing scientific discussion. Rising standards of living in China contain the demand for better health care and pension insurance for retirees, which will be hard to meet with the social insurance system in China still being in its infancy. Per capita expenditure on medical care and services of urban households has grown more than ninefold since 2000 with a clear and distinctive upward trend for the near future. As for social security spending, public pension expenditure is forecast to take up approximately nine percent of China's GDP by 2050.

Population: Age 15 to 64: Shanghai data was reported at 18.555 Person th in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 18.138 Person th for 2022. Population: Age 15 to 64: Shanghai data is updated yearly, averaging 15.618 Person th from Dec 1982 (Median) to 2023, with 29 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 18,705.024 Person th in 2010 and a record low of 10.477 Person th in 1999. Population: Age 15 to 64: Shanghai data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: Sample Survey: By Age and Region.

China Population: Age 20 to 24 data was reported at 73.696 Person th in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 73.629 Person th for 2022. China Population: Age 20 to 24 data is updated yearly, averaging 90.654 Person th from Dec 1982 (Median) to 2023, with 36 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 127,412.518 Person th in 2010 and a record low of 61.519 Person th in 2019. China Population: Age 20 to 24 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: Sample Survey: By Age and Sex.

In 2024, about 60.9 percent of the Chinese population was between 16 and 59 years old. Apart from the information given on broad age groups in this statistic, some more information is provided by a timeline for the age distribution and a population breakdown by smaller age groups. Demographic development in China China ranked as the second most populous country in the world with a population of nearly 1.41 billion as of mid 2024, surpassed only by India. As the world population reached more than eight billion in mid 2024, China represented almost one fifth of the global population. China's population increased exponentially between the 1950s and the early 1980s due to Mao Zedong's population policy. To tackle the problem of overpopulation, a one-child policy was implemented in 1979. Since then, China's population growth has slowed from more than two percent per annum in the 1970s to around 0.5 percent per annum in the 2000s, and finally turned negative in 2022. China's aging population One outcome of the strict population policy is the acceleration of demographic aging trends. According to the United Nations, China's population median age has more than doubled over the last five decades, from 18 years in 1970 to 37.5 years in 2020. Few countries have aged faster than China. The dramatic aging of the population is matched by slower growth. The total fertility rate, measuring the number of children a woman can expect to have in her life, stood at just around 1.2 children. This incremental decline in labor force could lead to future challenges for the Chinese government, causing instability in current health care and social insurance mechanisms. To learn more about demographic development of the rural and urban population in China, please take a look at our reports on population in China and aging population in China.

This horizontal bar chart displays median age (year) by continent using the aggregation sum and is filtered where the country is China. The data is about countries per year.

Population: County: Age 65 and Above: Hainan data was reported at 0.527 Person th in 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.534 Person th for 2021. Population: County: Age 65 and Above: Hainan data is updated yearly, averaging 0.381 Person th from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2022, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 499.994 Person th in 2020 and a record low of 0.272 Person th in 2017. Population: County: Age 65 and Above: Hainan data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: Sample Survey: By Age and Region: Rural.

This dataset is about countries and is filtered where the country includes China, featuring 5 columns: capital city, continent, country, currency, and median age. The preview is ordered by population (descending).

The age structure of the population in China varies greatly across different regions. In 2023, only around 9.6 percent of the population in Shanghai municipality was aged 14 years or younger, while this share amounted to 24.4 percent in Tibet.

China Population: Age 0 to 4 data was reported at 57.537 Person th in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 62.248 Person th for 2022. China Population: Age 0 to 4 data is updated yearly, averaging 68.380 Person th from Dec 1982 (Median) to 2023, with 36 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 116,438.419 Person th in 1990 and a record low of 57.537 Person th in 2023. China Population: Age 0 to 4 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: Sample Survey: By Age and Sex.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset presents the distribution of median household income among distinct age brackets of householders in China Grove. Based on the latest 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates from the American Community Survey, it displays how income varies among householders of different ages in China Grove. It showcases how household incomes typically rise as the head of the household gets older. The dataset can be utilized to gain insights into age-based household income trends and explore the variations in incomes across households.

Key observations: Insights from 2023

In terms of income distribution across age cohorts, in China Grove, householders within the under 25 years age group have the highest median household income at $91,094, followed by those in the 45 to 64 years age group with an income of $63,697. Meanwhile householders within the 25 to 44 years age group report the second lowest median household income of $60,298. Notably, householders within the 65 years and over age group, had the lowest median household income at $33,633.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates. All incomes have been adjusting for inflation and are presented in 2023-inflation-adjusted dollars.

Age groups classifications include:

• Under 25 years
• 25 to 44 years
• 45 to 64 years
• 65 years and over

Variables / Data Columns

• Age Of The Head Of Household: This column presents the age of the head of household
• Median Household Income: Median household income, in 2023 inflation-adjusted dollars for the specific age group

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for China Grove median household income by age. You can refer the same here

China Migrant Worker: Average Age data was reported at 43.100 Year Old in Dec 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 42.300 Year Old for Dec 2022. China Migrant Worker: Average Age data is updated quarterly, averaging 39.350 Year Old from Dec 2008 (Median) to Dec 2023, with 14 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 43.100 Year Old in Dec 2023 and a record low of 34.000 Year Old in Dec 2008. China Migrant Worker: Average Age data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Labour Market – Table CN.GB: Migrant Worker.

This dataset is about countries in China per year. It has 4 columns: date, country, birth rate, and median age. The data is ordered by date (descending).

China Population: Age 15 to 19 data was reported at 85.813 Person th in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 79.560 Person th for 2022. China Population: Age 15 to 19 data is updated yearly, averaging 92.947 Person th from Dec 1982 (Median) to 2023, with 36 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 125,366.344 Person th in 1982 and a record low of 55.822 Person th in 2019. China Population: Age 15 to 19 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: Sample Survey: By Age and Sex.

Hong Kong Labour Force: Three Months Average: Age 25 to 44 data was reported at 1,917,000.000 Person in Oct 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 1,911,700.000 Person for Sep 2018. Hong Kong Labour Force: Three Months Average: Age 25 to 44 data is updated monthly, averaging 1,913,700.000 Person from Dec 1981 (Median) to Oct 2018, with 353 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,054,300.000 Person in Oct 2001 and a record low of 1,104,600.000 Person in Dec 1981. Hong Kong Labour Force: Three Months Average: Age 25 to 44 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Census and Statistics Department. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Hong Kong SAR – Table HK.G014: Labour Force: GHS: RPA.

Hong Kong Labour Force: Three Months Average: Age 15 to 24 data was reported at 282,400.000 Person in Jun 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 277,200.000 Person for May 2018. Hong Kong Labour Force: Three Months Average: Age 15 to 24 data is updated monthly, averaging 400,200.000 Person from Dec 1981 (Median) to Jun 2018, with 349 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 736,200.000 Person in Dec 1981 and a record low of 277,200.000 Person in May 2018. Hong Kong Labour Force: Three Months Average: Age 15 to 24 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Census and Statistics Department. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Hong Kong – Table HK.G014: Labour Force: GHS: RPA.

China Population: Age 0 to 14 data was reported at 222.400 Person mn in 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 230.630 Person mn for 2023. China Population: Age 0 to 14 data is updated yearly, averaging 259.610 Person mn from Dec 1953 (Median) to 2024, with 39 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 341.456 Person mn in 1982 and a record low of 213.312 Person mn in 1953. China Population: Age 0 to 14 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset presents the distribution of median household income among distinct age brackets of householders in China. Based on the latest 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates from the American Community Survey, it displays how income varies among householders of different ages in China. It showcases how household incomes typically rise as the head of the household gets older. The dataset can be utilized to gain insights into age-based household income trends and explore the variations in incomes across households.

Key observations: Insights from 2023

In terms of income distribution across age cohorts, in China, where there exist only two delineated age groups, the median household income is $103,854 for householders within the 25 to 44 years age group, compared to $53,333 for the 65 years and over age group.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates. All incomes have been adjusting for inflation and are presented in 2023-inflation-adjusted dollars.

Age groups classifications include:

• Under 25 years
• 25 to 44 years
• 45 to 64 years
• 65 years and over

Variables / Data Columns

• Age Of The Head Of Household: This column presents the age of the head of household
• Median Household Income: Median household income, in 2023 inflation-adjusted dollars for the specific age group

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for China median household income by age. You can refer the same here

As of 2023, about 10.1 percent of the population in Beijing was between 30 and 34 years of age, whereas only 1.6 percent were aged 85 and above. Beijing is the capital city of China and after Shanghai, the second largest city in the country. Beijing’s age distribution A broad age distribution of Beijing’s inhabitants reveals that a comparatively large share of the total population is of working age, while few children live in the city. This gap becomes even more obvious when looking at the age distribution by five-year groups: While the age cohorts between 25 and 39 accounts for 28 percent of the population, the age group between 0 and 19 accounts for only 14.6 percent. Two main reasons are responsible for this gap: On the one hand, many young people in their early working years move to the city and search for job opportunities; on the other hand, the motivation for having children in the city is low, mostly due to economic reasons. Many migrant workers from outside the city even leave their children behind when searching for better jobs in the city. Not only is the national average age distribution more balanced in this regard, but also that of many other larger cities. Prospects for the future In recent years, Beijing’s municipal government was determined to limit population inflow into the city. At the same time, former national measures of birth control were gradually relaxed and restrictions for migrants to take their children with them were partially lifted, which already had a positive effect on the number of children in the youngest age cohorts. However, given the very high costs of living in Beijing and its low attractiveness to family-oriented people, it is very likely that the average age of the population will increase quickly, leading to all the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly aging society.