Population of seniors to explode post-2010
8/4/2005 8:01
Shanghai Daily news
The number of local residents over the age of 60 years topped 2.61
million by 2004, an increase of more than 60,000 from the year before, the
Shanghai Research Center on Aging under the Civil Affairs Bureau revealed
yesterday. The aged population accounts for 19.28 percent of the city's total
registered residents of 13.52 million, 0.3 percent higher than in 2003. When
migrant workers are included, the city is home to more than 20 million
people. "There has been no evident acceleration in the growth of the local
senior population since 2000," said Gui Shixun, the center's vice
director. He said the rate will be steady for another two years, but quicken
to about 87,000 in 2007 and up to 130,000 in 2010. The city's elderly
population will explode after 2010, 10 years earlier than other parts of the
country, he said. From then on, 170,000 locals each year will join the age
group over 60, he said. "But such rapid growth will slow down gradually from
2020," Gui said. "And the total number of local seniors will begin decreasing
from 2030." As of the end of 2004, there were 407,000 locals above 80,
accounting for 3.01 percent of the registered population and 15.61 percent of
those over 60. In 2003, however, this age group accounted for 14.77 percent
of those over 60. Altogether 548 local residents were more than 100 years old
at the end of last year, up 94 from 2003. Lu Jianping, a woman born on February
16, 1894, is the city's oldest resident alive.
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