[Epoch Times September 06, 2021](Epoch Times reporter Liu Yi comprehensive report) The population data of the mainland shows that 149 cities have entered a deeply aging society. These cities are concentrated in the northeastern region and the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration. , The middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, the central region, and the Yangtze River Delta.
According to a report by China Business News on September 5, after combing through the data of the seventh national census, 336 prefecture-level and above cities (including municipalities directly under the Central Government, cities under separate state planning, provincial capitals, and Sansha City) were analyzed. After the age composition of the population of ordinary prefecture-level cities, states, and leagues outside the country, it was discovered that currently 149 cities in the mainland have entered a deep ageing population.
According to internationally accepted standards, when a country or region’s population of 65 years and over exceeds 7%, it means that it is aging; it reaches 14%, which means deep aging; if it exceeds 20%, it enters a super-aging society.
Statistics show that in 2020, the proportion of the population of 149 prefecture-levels and listed on the mainland has exceeded 14%, entering a deep aging population.
Among these 149 cities, there are 41 in the eastern coastal area, accounting for 27.5%; 36 in the northeast, accounting for 24.2%; 72 in the central and western regions, accounting for 48.3%. Generally speaking, the cities with deep aging are concentrated in the northeast region, the central region, the Yangtze River Delta, the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, and the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration.
In terms of provinces, 149 cities are distributed in 22 provinces. Sichuan has 17 deeply aging cities, ranking first in number. This is mainly because the population of prefectures and cities has flowed into the developed coastal areas. In recent years, with the rapid economic development of the provincial capital Chengdu, a large number of people have also flowed into Chengdu.
A similar situation exists in Hunan, Anhui, and Hubei in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. A total of 12 cities in Hunan and Anhui in central China are experiencing deep aging, and 9 in Hubei. One of the major reasons is the outflow of young and middle-aged people. The working-age population accounts for a relatively low proportion and the elderly population accounts for a high proportion.
Ye Qing, a professor at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, said that the central region is closer to the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta, and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. In addition, as there are more job opportunities in several powerful provincial capitals in the central region, the population of many cities is moving to provincial capitals.
In contrast, the degree of aging in the Northeast is deeper. Data shows that there are 36 cities in the three provinces of Northeast China, all of which have entered the stage of deep aging.
According to analysis by Yi Baozhong, a professor at the Northeast Asian Research Institute of Jilin University, the birth rate and fertility rate of the population in the Northeast are relatively low. Secondly, in recent years, the economy of the Northeast has been down, there are not many job opportunities, and the young population continues to flow out, whether it is for college or not. Many people go to university and go to the southeast coast for employment, which also affects the age structure of the population.
There are also many deeply aging cities in the economically developed eastern provinces of Shandong, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang. Among the 16 prefectures and cities in Shandong Province, 14 have entered a deep ageing population, and Shandong has a population of 15.36 million people aged 65 and over, which is the province with the largest population of aging population in the mainland. Shandong also shows a comparison of the working-age population. The characteristics of low population and relatively high proportion of the elderly and children are also related to the population exodus in Shandong in recent years.
On May 11 this year, the Communist Party of China announced the results of the seventh national census in 2020, showing that the total population of the country is 1.4117.8 billion, an increase of 72.06 million compared with the data of the sixth national census in 2010, an increase of 5.38%, an average annual growth rate. The rate is 0.53%.
At a press conference after the results of the new census were announced, Ning Jizhe, head of the National Bureau of Statistics of the Communist Party of China, stated that the number of births last year dropped by 18% from the year before. This is the fourth consecutive year that China’s birth population has fallen.
The release of the data has been delayed again and again, causing doubts from all walks of life. Wu Qiang, an independent political commentator in Beijing and a doctor of political science, said that before the census, many government surveys on birth rates had shown negative numbers.
Shenyang Internet writer Liu Dong said that the number of births in various cities in mainland China is declining, and the official data is still growing. This is most likely a set of data after thorough discussions by the authorities. He said: “I don’t believe in such figures. Of course, we don’t have real data, because the real data reflects the fact that the birth population in each city is shrinking significantly, and residents’ willingness to give birth is also declining. Maintaining growth, but delaying the announcement until now (originally scheduled to be announced in mid-April), this figure is questionable.”
Reuters believes that the Chinese Communist Party’s newly released population figures may indicate that China is already facing a rapid population decline. The shrinking population means fewer workers, and therefore less taxation, which leads to pension problems.
Editor in charge: Lin Congwen
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