Addressing The Rural Elderly Population In China

By: James Teng ‘26
In the wave of rapid urbanization, rural China experienced a significant proportion of young adults, below the age of 40, traveling to work in the city in search of better economic opportunities. The loss of young vigilant work forces created obstacles for rustic developments but also physical and psychological challenges for the elderly generation still living in rural areas.
The rural elderly population is jeopardized economically. In many rural areas of China, the conventional family structure was overturned. Traditionally, Chinese families followed the principle of “raising children to support parents in old age.” Yet, those elders who once relied on intergenerational support were now isolated from their adult children, who work in distant urban centers; consequently, they placed childcare responsibility on their shoulders. According to the 2023 statistics from the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs, a staggering 72% of rural elders, with an average age of 68.4, were given the responsibility of raising their grandchildren. Yet, they lacked enough pension and social support. The monthly pension they receive from the New Rural Insurance Pension, a little over £10.70, is nowhere near enough to cover their daily expenses, let alone the expensive urban-level education their grandchildren need to receive. Annual childcare cost is approximately £3800, nearly 14.2 times the pension an elder may receive. Therefore, many look to sell their crops to make money. Around £800 can be made each year, but if a drought occurs, this number could be halved, sometimes zero. The inbalance between modern expenses and tenuous pensions resulted in harsh conditions for this retired population. 
In addition to the financial plight, digitalization and modernization in China have disproportionate negative impacts on rural elderly populations. Study shows that urban elders are much more comfortable in the digitalized world and are more capable of adapting to the changes than rural elders. While most urban elders receive training to help them integrate into the evolving society, many rural elders lack the support that they desperately need. Many essential tasks such as purchasing goods, scheduling medical appointments, and managing banking transactions, have transitioned to a digital platform post-COVID-19, forcing these rural elders to choose between digitalizing and becoming marginalized by society. Technology, after all, will not wait for them. 
Beyond this technology gap, many rural elders face emotional and physical challenges. While their children may call occasionally, opportunities for offline, face-to-face conversations are rare, leaving them without meaningful emotional support in the face of growing technological and social isolation. Often, they are left alone and helpless under great economic and psychological pressure while having to take care of their grandchildren every day. This prolonged loneliness and neglect may accumulate and transform into depression, while the physical demands of daily childcare gradually take a toll on their bodies, particularly their joints. Many receive less than 5 hours of sleep each day as they care for the children after dark. A report from the Peking University showed that those elders, who had to take care of their grandchildren alone, had a 47% incidence rate of arthritis – 28% higher than people of similar age – and a 31% chance of depression, which is 2.3 times the chance of elders that are not responsible for childcare. These stark figures expose the emotional neglect and chronic physical pain experienced by rural elderly, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive social support systems to address this issue.
Several solutions should be proposed to ameliorate the challenging situations faced by the rural Chinese elderly population. The government should strengthen rural pension schemes and provide additional financial subsidies to help compensate for the economic stress due to the cost of childcare. Local community centres and elderly care programs should be more accessible to rural communities, creating more social interaction opportunities to help soothe emotional stress. Non-profit organizations should develop training programs with local communities to ensure that the benefit of technological progression reaches everyone. Elderly people should not be pushed to the margins of society.