1. China’s Ageing Population: A Looming Demographic Shift

China’s population is rapidly ageing due to consistently low birth rates and increasing life expectancy. Since 2010, the proportion of children (0–14 years) has stayed around 16–17%, while the population aged 65 and over has grown significantly (see picture below, Statista). The median age is expected to reach 52 by 2050, and the mortality rate is also slightly increasing.

By the end of 2024, China’s population aged 60 and above reached 310 million (22% of the total), with those over 65 accounting for 15.6%—officially marking its entry into a “moderately aged” society. With three consecutive years of population decline (a drop of 1.39 million in 2024) and record-low fertility rates, the ageing process is accelerating. By 2035, China will become a “severely aged” society, with over 30% of its population over 60.

This demographic crisis presents both significant economic strain and an unprecedented demand for elderly-focused solutions. The elderly dependency ratio has reached 22.5%, meaning that approximately every four working-age individuals support one elderly person. This ratio is projected to rise sharply after 2030, reaching an estimated 87.5% by 2084. Simultaneously, the miniaturization of family structures and the weakening of traditional family-based elder care have led to a surge in demand for comprehensive healthcare and elderly support services.

 2. China’s Solutions for Ageing Population

China is addressing its ageing population challenges in a multi-dimensional and systematic manner through policy adjustments, industrial support, social service optimisation and international cooperation.

China is placing strong strategic emphasis on developing its silver economy and elderly care system. Recent high-level policy documents, including the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, the 2024 Central Economic Work Conference, and the 2025 Government Work Report, all highlight the importance of responding to population ageing by promoting consumption and supporting elderly-focused industries.

At the 2025 China Development Forum, officials reaffirmed the government’s commitment to integrating elderly care with culture, tourism, medical services, and technology, with targeted policy support outlined in the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan. A comprehensive roadmap was laid out in the January 2025 policy document from the CPC Central Committee and State Council, which calls for a three-tier national care network (home, community, and institutional), financial incentives (long-term care insurance, tax benefits, etc), and increased investment in smart technologies such as AI and robotics.

The overarching goal is to establish a well-functioning elderly care system by 2029 and to build a mature, inclusive, and sustainable elderly care network by 2035.

At the industrial level, China vigorously develops the silver economy, promotes the integration of elderly care with culture, tourism, medical care, and technology, and supports emerging fields such as smart elderly care and ageing-friendly renovation, including expanding the long-term care insurance pilot program (currently covering 49 cities), and promote the development of sub-sectors such as elderly clothing, smart homes, and healthy foods (such as JD.com opening a “Silver Economy Zone”).

In terms of social services and international cooperation, China is accelerating the construction of community elderly care facilities (such as canteens for the elderly), encouraging the integration of medical care and elderly care, and introducing advanced technologies and management models through international cooperation. The core is to alleviate the pressure of elderly care through “government guidance + market drive” and tap into the new economic momentum brought by an ageing population.

 3. China’s Elderly Care Market

The “post-1960s generation” is now driving China’s elderly care market (silver economy). Most have stable pensions, high spending power, and a strong willingness to consume. In 2024, the market reached RMB 7 trillion (6% of GDP), projected to exceed RMB 30 trillion (9% of GDP) by 2035.

Key sectors fuelling this growth include healthcare and nursing services, smart elderly care solutions, and lifestyle offerings such as senior education, cultural tourism, and entertainment tailored to older adults. Financial services like retirement planning, insurance, and wealth management are also gaining traction, alongside home adaptation products including age-friendly modifications and assistive devices.

Although China’s elderly care market is expanding rapidly, and facing significant challenges. Services remain fragmented, and the availability of high-quality care—particularly in disability support and rural elderly care—is still limited.

A major barrier is the technology gap among older adults. Many elderly individuals struggle to adopt digital tools, which restricts their access to modern healthcare, telemedicine, and smart ageing solutions. 

There is also a marked urban-rural disparity in elderly care services. Urban centres like Beijing and Shanghai are advancing quickly in senior care infrastructure and ageing-related technology. In contrast, rural areas—where many elderly residents live after younger generations migrate to cities—often lack adequate healthcare facilities, assistive devices, and community-based services. These inequalities are contributing to a growing divide in the quality and accessibility of elderly care across regions.

4. Opportunities for UK-China Collaborations 

The UK has a strong experience and is advanced in medical devices and assistive technologies tailored to elderly care, particularly in the following sectors:

• Mobility Aids: The UK has a well-established market for mobility aids such as wheelchairs, walking aids, and orthopaedic devices, with companies like Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare operating in the region.
• Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM): Devices like blood pressure monitors, glucose meters, and ECG wearables are widely adopted, supported by NHS digital health strategies like the NHS Long Term Plan.
• Fall Detection & Emergency Response Systems: Companies like Tunstall Healthcare and Just Checking provide advanced sensor-based monitoring for elderly care.

With the UK’s strengths in assistive technologies and elderly care services, and China’s rapidly expanding elderly care market, dozens of forerunners from the UK are expanding or exploring China’s silver economy, to offer a wide range of products and services.

UK-China collaboration in the silver economy is deepening, following a series of successful initiatives including the 2024 Healthy Ageing Seminar and Silver Economy Forum. The recent Sino-British Healthy Ageing Business Matchmaking Conference in Guangzhou and Shenzhen further strengthened this partnership.

Several joint projects are already underway. For example, the UK’s National Innovation Centre for Ageing (NICA) has partnered with Beijing Hospital to co-develop products supporting independent living for older adults. Ai Ke Gu, a joint venture between the UK’s Age Care Technologies and China’s BIGU Health Care, is combining global research with local expertise to deliver integrated care solutions and promote innovation through a proposed Sino-British Smart Health Care Industry Research Institute.

British companies are also entering China’s market with innovative offerings. The Apple and Honey Nightingale House Project is piloting an intergenerational care model, BioDiagnostics is exploring market entry for its 10-minute rapid diagnostic test, and Nine Health Global Limited is re-engaging with Chinese partners to expand its AI-powered health management tools that have already been adopted across China, to name just a few.

 5. Pathways and Challenges for British firms entering China’s elderly care market

British companies will face various challenges to succeed in the Chinese elderly care market, such as cultural differences, price sensitivity, policy and compliance, and channel development. Cultural understanding is key in the localisation of communication style and decision-making methods, sitting at the core of business implementation.

Pathways to enter the Chinese silver economy include joint ventures, technology licensing, finding local distribution partners and data sharing wherever appropriate. 

Priority can be given to sectors such as health management, smart elderly care, medical devices, mobility aids, and financial innovation, leveraging e-commerce and community networks for faster market penetration when necessary. 

At the policy level, businesses shall align with the latest strategy and target regions like Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the Yangtze River Delta, the Greater Bay Area, and Chengdu-Chongqing, and planned high-level silver economy demonstration zones.

While current opportunities largely centre on the “young elderly” (ages 60–75), UK businesses should also prepare for the surge in the 80+ population—projected to triple to 90 million by 2035. This shift will drive demand for advanced mobility aids and elderly care services. 

To sum up, China’s ageing population presents both challenges and opportunities. For UK businesses, engaging with the elderly care market in China is not just a commercial venture—it’s a chance to contribute to social well-being while tapping into one of the world’s fastest-growing markets. Through strategic collaboration, cultural adaptation, and policy alignment, UK firms can become an important player in shaping the future of elderly care in China.