Beijing: Shanghai, China's most populous
city and financial hub, now has the highest number of old
people in the country with one out of its four registered
citizens are above the age of 60.
"The registered population of the municipality reached
14.12 million by the end of 2010 with citizens over 60 years
of age numbered 3.31 million, or 23.4 per cent of the total
registered population," said statistics released by Shanghai's
Municipal Bureau of Civil Affairs and the Senior Citizens'
Work Committee.
The total population of the city, including suburbs
was stated to around 22.21 million.
It is predicted that the number of registered elderly
in Shanghai regarded as China's business hub, will be 4.3
million, or about 30 per cent of the city's total registered
population by 2015.
China's elderly population clocked in 167.14 million
at the end of 2009, or about 12.5 per cent of the country's
total population. It is estimated that China's elderly
population will continue to rise in the 2011-2015 period, a
Xinhua report said.
According to global standards, a country or region is
considered to have an "aging society" when the number of
people over the age of 60 reaches 10 per cent or more of its
population.
Saddled with increasing numbers of pensioners, the
city already relaxed one child policy permitting a second
child two years ago. Also the city has relaxed the retirement
age to reduce the burden on the pension funds.
The retirement age in China now is 60 for males, 55
for female government officials and 50 for other female
workers. People have to pay into the pension account for at
least 15 years before they retire.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, April 19, 2011, 17:45