Beijing faces a rapidly aging population with one-third over 60 by 2035

According to recent data, about one-third of Beijing’s inhabitants will be aged 60 or older by 2035, a sharp rise from the 5.29 million seniors—nearly 25 percent of the city’s population—recorded at the end of last year. In response, municipal authorities are boosting support for older residents, including an increase in the basic pension. The city also faces a projected cost of roughly 180 billion yuan to stimulate higher birth rates, as part of a broader national effort to counteract a population decline that began in 2022.

China’s shrinking and aging populace complicates plans to spur domestic consumption and manage debt, with a large cohort expected to exit the workforce while pension systems are already under strain. Demographers and economists caution that a smaller younger generation may reduce household formation and dampen long-term consumption growth.