The line graph illustrates the age distribution of China’s population from 1960 to 2024, with projections extending to 2050.
Overall, China has been aging rapidly, evident from the significant increase in the percentage of the population within the oldest age group, while the proportion of younger age brackets has been steadily declining. This trend is likely to persist into the future.
In 1960, only about 6% of the Chinese population was over the age of 65. However, this figure has risen substantially, reaching 15% in 2024. The growth trend is expected to continue, with approximately 26% of the population projected to be over 65 by 2050.
In contrast, the proportion of the population under the age of 14 has seen a constant and significant decrease, dropping from around 46% in 1960 to only 25% in 2024. This percentage is likely to decline further to approximately 17.5% by 2050.
Meanwhile, the percentage of the population aged 15 to 64 has consistently increased from roughly 39% in 1960 to 70% in 2024. However, by 2050, the proportion of this age group is expected to fall rapidly to about 52.5% of the population.