Facing the Future: Public Reaction as China Adjusts Retirement Age Amid Aging Population Concerns

Video | "We anticipated this": Public response to China's hike in retirement age

The Post engaged with community members to gather their opinions on the new policy adjustment.

Time: 02

"Everyone expected this": Public responds to China raising its retirement age

The Chinese government has declared that it will raise the retirement age for employees. Scheduled to begin on January 1, 2025, this adjustment is perceived as a strategy to counteract the challenges of an increasingly aging population and to preserve the sustainability of pension reserves.

In 2023, approximately 50% of the provincial governing areas throughout the country reported excesses in their pension funds, which could be transferred to the national administration. Among them, only Guangdong, Beijing, Jiangsu, and Anhui managed to contribute a minimum of 10 billion yuan (approximately US$1.4 billion) each.

The Post engaged with community members to gather their opinions on the recent policy shift.