BEIJING, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- When 88-year-old Chen Yude received a request from Xinhua for an interview about lifespan, he responded immediately: "Can we talk on WeChat?"
Chen studied life expectancy at what is now Peking University (PKU) in the early 1960s, and could never have foreseen that six decades later, he would still be working -- and using social media, thriving in the digital age as he approaches 90.
The latest official statistics show that the average life expectancy of Chinese people is 78.6 years. In other words, babies born in China last year are likely to see the dawn of the next century.
The country's life expectancy has come a long way -- from approximately 35 years before the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 to 61.7 years in 1963, and to 71 years in 1998. A study released by Lancet Public Health in April has forecast that the figure will reach 81.3 years by 2035.
Life expectancy isn't synonymous with lifespan, but it provides a snapshot of a region's economic, societal, environmental and health status at a given time, Chen told Xinhua. "It's a global benchmark for comparison."
"There's a clear trend of longevity, even if the data isn't exhaustive," said a woman surnamed Zhang, who oversees retirees' affairs at a public institution in Beijing. She observed that before 2000, most names found in obituaries were of people in their 70s. Today, she is seeing an increasing number of people in their 80s, many in their 90s, and even some centenarians.
Zeng Yi, honorary director of the PKU Center for Healthy Aging and Development, credits the country's rising lifespan to healthier lifestyles, better health care and higher incomes in the world's second-largest economy.
China CDC specialist Zhou Maigeng has highlighted the roles played by decreased infant mortality rate and the effective control of contagious diseases. The national infant mortality rate plummeted from 200 per thousand before 1949 to 4.5 per thousand in 2023.
SILVER ECONOMY: A NEW FRONTIER
As people enjoy longer lives, a crucial question arises: Does this place a growing burden on society, especially given the fact that 21.1 percent of the population was already aged 60 or older in 2023?
While conventional wisdom often views longer life through the lens of loss -- the loss of work, health and vitality -- many economists see it as a glass half full.
Unlike their predecessors, who grew up in an era of scarcity, now-seniors born in the 1960s and 1970s benefited from the huge changes brought about by the country's reform and opening-up from an early age. They are more educated, independent and affluent, said Ren Zeping, chief economist of the Zhengzhou-based Zhongyuan Bank.
These seniors not only drive demand for goods, services and innovation through their spending, but also contribute to society through volunteer activities. Many continue to earn and pay taxes, fueling the potential of the silver economy.
Liu Xiaomei (pseudonym), a 55-year-old company worker, once avoided concerts, believing that the high prices were not worth on a few hours of music. However, motivated by a video her friends took at a live concert, she attended her first gig in October.
Watching a singer she had idolized in her 20s perform live, and singing along with the crowd filled her with nostalgia and joy. "There's a reason for the high prices," she remarked. Liu has since attended two more concerts.
According to the China National Committee on Ageing, elderly adults in China had amassed wealth totaling 78.4 trillion yuan (about 10.9 trillion U.S. dollars) by 2023. China's silver economy, currently valued at 7 trillion yuan, is projected to grow to 30 trillion yuan by 2035.
And the opportunities in the silver economy aren't confined to China. The country's elderly care, medical and health sectors are now open to foreign investors. It has recently approved the establishment of wholly foreign-owned hospitals in nine regions.
While the financial contributions of China's elderly population are evident, not all contributions come with a paycheck. Hu Chafang, who in 2022 retired from the village committee in Caoqiao, which is located in the eastern city of Hangzhou, now volunteers to guide locals as they sort waste and help to maintain a clean environment.
"I wasn't sure what to do after retirement," she said. "After thinking it over, I realized I still wanted to do something for the village where I grew up."
For a man surnamed Zheng, life and work remain largely unchanged after retirement. The 61-year-old spent nearly three decades in a management position at a technology company in Beijing. Now, he works as an advisor at an investment firm, earning between 8,000 and 9,000 yuan a month.
"I'm in good health, and advisory roles require more experience, so my job doesn't take opportunities away from younger people. That's why I continue to work," he said. "There's so much I still want to do -- like trading stocks. It's something I genuinely enjoy."
As part of its response to demographic changes, China will raise its statutory retirement ages from 2025 -- its first adjustment to these ages since the 1950s. Over the course of 15 years, the retirement age will be gradually increased from 60 to 63 for men, from 55 to 58 for women cadres, and from 50 to 55 for women working in blue-collar roles.
HEALTH SPAN IN FOCUS
For Liu, Hu and Zheng, delaying the onset of disease is essential for life after retirement as it enables them to attend concerts, serve their communities, or pursuing hobbies like hiking or stock trading. A quinquennial survey conducted in 2021 and released in October 2024 found that 31 million individuals aged 60 and older in China required care that year. Experts estimate this number had risen to 35 million by 2023.
Health span -- the years a person lives free from serious disease, especially those related to aging -- is more important than life span, said Qiao Xiaochun, who works at the PKU Institute of Population Research.
In a departure from the common, piecemeal strategy of addressing each disease individually, China is shifting its health care focus from treating disease to maintaining health.
Chronic diseases are now a priority. According to a work plan in 2017, China aims to reduce the early death rates of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory conditions by 20 percent among people aged 30 to 70 by 2025, using 2015 as a baseline starting point.
In east China's Fujian Province, a 54-year-old resident surnamed Zhu was recently admitted to a hospital in Sanming due to blurred vision from high blood sugar levels.
During his hospital stay, doctors provided medication and assessed his health and lifestyle. Upon discharge, Zhu received a personalized diet, exercise, mental health and sleep regimen.
Sanming, a mountainous city that was mired in a medical insurance crisis a decade ago due to aging before becoming wealthy, has spearheaded significant health care reform in China.
Medical and health providers in its counties are integrated into a single entity to ensure they share interests and responsibilities, collaboratively overseeing the health of local population.
Medical insurance funds are also bundled and allocated to the leading local hospital, along with contracted health responsibilities. There is no reimbursement for overspending, though medical and health providers can retain any surpluses. This has incentivized medical professionals to balance the treatment of diseases with prevention and control.
This is true health care, rather than just disease care, said Li Ling, Mulan chair professor of economics at the PKU National School of Development. ■
