China has the largest elderly population in the world. The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed to implement the national strategy of actively responding to the aging of the population and developing the pension industry and the pension industry. The "14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of National Aging Undertakings and Pension Service System" emphasizes that we should vigorously develop the silver economy, promote the coordinated development of aging undertakings and industries, basic public services and diversified services, and strive to meet the multi-level and diversified needs of the elderly. In this issue, invited experts will discuss related issues.
The era of longevity in an aging society has given rise to a silver economy.
What are the main fields and industries of the silver economy? Why is there an emphasis on vigorously developing the silver economy?
Fang Lianquan (Researcher, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Institute of Social Development Strategy, Secretary-General of the World Social Security Research Center): The silver economy, also known as the aging economy, is an economic activity that provides products and services for the elderly. The concept of silver economy has been proposed internationally since the 70s of the 20th century, and in 2015 the European Union defined it as an economic opportunity linked to the aging of the population and consumer spending over 50 years old.
In general, the silver economy covers the whole field of aging business and aging industry. Among them, the cause of the elderly mainly reflects the leading role or plays a leading role, and the aging industry emphasizes more on the role of the market. The "Statistical Classification of the Pension Industry (2020)" issued by the National Bureau of Statistics subdivides the pension industry, with a total of 12 categories, such as pension care services, elderly medical and health services and social security for the elderly, mainly concentrated in the secondary and tertiary industries, including traditional physical consumption such as clothing, food, housing, transportation, and use, as well as service consumption such as health care, nursing, and pension finance, as well as culture, art, sports, and smart products and services empowered by science and technology, and home and public places for the elderlyIt has the characteristics of long industrial chain, wide radiation coverage and complex and diverse business formats.
An ageing population has given rise to a silver economy. In 2001, China has entered an aging society, and by the end of 2022, the population aged 60 and above will exceed 2800 million people, accounting for 198%, which is expected to reach more than a third by 2050, means that one in three people is elderly. Vigorously developing the silver economy is not only the need to improve the life and well-being of the elderly, but also conforms to the trend of economic and social structural transformation. With the aging of China's population, the silver industry plays an increasingly important role in the national economy. According to statistics, in 2022, the basic pension insurance system has covered 300 million people receiving pension benefits in urban and rural areas, with a ** expenditure of 63 trillion yuan, providing material security for the consumption of the elderly. In the next 10 years, it is expected that more than 20 million new retirees will be added every year. In the large elderly group, a considerable number of them are energetic young seniors. According to the Seventh Population Census, the number of young elderly people between the ages of 60 and 69 in the country is 1500 million people, more than half of the total number of older persons, have the knowledge, experience and skills to complement the job market.
With the improvement of living standards and health expectations, the willingness and ability of the elderly to consume continue to increase, and the consumption mode tends to be diversified, with medical care, continuing education, cultural and sports tourism, and health care services becoming popular. At the same time, with the rapid development of digital technology, the rapid growth of the elderly Internet population, and the penetration of e-commerce, telemedicine, and smart elderly care into the lives of the elderly, the growth potential of the silver economy has been further stimulated. In the capital market, many listed companies have increased investment in the field of pension, and actively laid out the production of elderly products, pension finance, pension services and pension real estate. In addition, some large and medium-sized cities have incorporated the construction of age-friendly cities into their development plans.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China has attached great importance to the work of the elderly, strengthened the top-level design, and issued a series of policy documents to promote the high-quality development of the silver economy.
First, it is a national strategy to actively respond to the rise of population aging. The 14th Five-Year Plan and the Long-Range Objectives Through 2035 outline the implementation of a national strategy to actively respond to the aging of the population. The "Opinions of the Communist Party of China on Strengthening the Work on Aging in the New Era" issued in 2021 proposes to actively cultivate the silver economy and develop industries suitable for the elderly. The "14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of National Aging Undertakings and Pension Service System" issued in 2022 requires the planning and layout of a number of key development areas of the silver economy in the country from the aspects of research and development of elderly products, promotion of high-quality products and encouragement of the development of industrial clusters.
The second is to adhere to the coordinated development of the cause of the elderly and the aging industry, two-wheel drive. In recent years, the state has accelerated the equalization of basic public services, emphasizing the principles of inclusiveness and shared responsibility, and improving the multi-level elderly care service system of home-based care, community care and institutional care. The National List of Basic Pension Services released in May 2023 further strengthens the bottom line of service guarantee for the elderly.
Third, we should give full play to the decisive role of the market in the allocation of resources and fully mobilize the participation of non-governmental forces. In 2013, the "Opinions on Accelerating the Development of the Pension Service Industry" was issued to promote the development of pension service-related industries from the national level, and many policy supports were given in terms of finance, land, taxes and employment, and social forces were increasingly involved in the field of the pension industry, which not only broadened the investment and financing channels, but also brought a large number of employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. The Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China emphasized the decisive role of the market in the allocation of resources, and actively promoted the reform of various systems and mechanisms in the field of pension industry.
Fourth, the multi-level social security system has been continuously improved to provide institutional guarantee for the development of the aging cause and the aging industry. Breakthroughs have been made in the construction of China's social security system, and the state has promoted the establishment of a unified basic old-age insurance system for urban and rural residents and a basic medical insurance system for urban and rural residents, and the two security systems for old-age and medical care have basically achieved full coverage. The level of medical insurance reimbursement has been continuously improved, and the old-age welfare allowance program has become increasingly sound. Since 2016, the long-term care insurance system has been piloted, and by 2022, it has covered nearly 1The 700 million population has not only strengthened the protection of the disabled elderly, but also driven the rapid growth of the nursing service industry. With the rapid growth of the elderly population and the continuous improvement of consumption level, the proportion of the silver economy in GDP will continue to rise, playing an important role in stimulating domestic demand, cultivating emerging industries and promoting employment.
Grasp the future development direction of the aging industry.
The "post-60s" and "post-70s" groups are gradually entering old age, what new pictures and changes will be brought to the silver economy?
Dang Junwu (Member of the Expert Committee of the National Working Committee on Aging, Deputy Director of the China Research Center on Aging): The advent of the aging society and the era of longevity will have an important impact on the transformation of China's supply and demand structure. On the one hand, the demand for health management for the whole population and the whole life cycle is emerging. On the other hand, the existing supply system is still difficult to provide corresponding products and services, and the aging economy has great potential. Comprehensively promoting the development of the aging industry will inject new momentum into promoting high-quality economic development and forming a new round of economic growth.
In general, the aging industry can be divided into three levels: first, the entire supply system that adapts to the needs of the aging society, which is the "big aging industry"; the second is the product and service system that meets the needs of the whole life cycle of individuals, which is the "middle-aged and elderly industry"; The third is the product and service system for the needs of the elderly, which is the "small aging industry".
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China's aging industry has made great progress, and has initially formed an aging financial industry, an aging manufacturing industry, an aging health industry, an aging service industry, an elderly livable industry, and an aging cultural industry. This is a concrete embodiment of the market's conscious adaptation to the aging society and the implementation of the national strategy of actively responding to the aging of the population, representing the new direction of China's economy in the future. Practice shows that the aging industry is a "labor-capital-technology" intensive industry, and vigorously developing the aging industry is conducive to full employment, expanding consumption and promoting investment. With the rapid development of the aging population, the consumption demand of China's middle-aged and elderly groups will continue to be prominent in the medium and long term, and the aging industry contains huge development potential.
Compared with the various needs generated by the aging of the population, the development of China's aging industry is relatively lagging behind. China is the country with the largest elderly population in the world, and the potential demand for the aging industry is difficult to estimate. According to the China Research Center on Aging**, the potential of the aging industry will account for one-fifth of GDP by 2030 and one-third by 2050. In particular, the "post-60s" and "post-70s" have entered the old age one after another, which will bring a new picture to the aging industry. The total population of the "post-60s" and "post-70s" generations exceeds 400 million, and the education level is generally high, and the awareness of pursuing health and investing in healthy pension is also stronger. On the whole, their consumption demand and long-term arrangements for elderly life have a profound impact on the development trend of the aging industry in the future. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the new characteristics and changes in terms of consumption capacity, demand level and cognitive skills.
According to the "China Aging Industry Development Report (2021-2022)" released by the China Research Center on Aging in 2023, from 2021 to 2035, China's aging industry will generate demand in many aspects. For example, health management, chronic disease management, medical care, palliative care, etc. Age-appropriate products and manufacturing products for the elderly, first-class assistive devices, etc.; Age-appropriate renovation, age-appropriate environment and services for the elderly, etc.; Personal financial products for the elderly and financial support for the aging industry in the field of aging finance. In the long run, from 2036 to 2050, as the "post-70s" and "post-80s" groups enter the elderly, the demand of China's aging industry will undergo greater changes in consumption patterns, demand levels, and demand content. For example, online consumption patterns are more common, spiritual culture, lifelong learning and Xi have become important contents pursued by the elderly, and the demand for smart elderly care and technology to help the elderly is becoming increasingly prominent. In addition, the extension of services for the elderly will be further expanded, and the demand for services in the fields of sports, tourism, culture, education, and law will also increase significantly.
It is estimated that in the next 10 years, there will be more than 20 million new elderly people every year. They have a higher level of education, a better economic foundation, a variety of information channels, and a greater emphasis on spiritual and cultural life. In addition to traditional health care, intelligent health products such as elderly education, psychological counseling and **, spiritual and cultural services and products, wearable health monitoring devices and intelligent auxiliary devices for the elderly, healthy life solutions for the elderly, artificial intelligence products such as home health robots, and health regimens and products of traditional Chinese medicine will also be favored. Making full use of big data to accurately provide high-quality, diversified, diversified, age-appropriate and personalized consumer products will be the direction and trend of the development of the aging industry.
At present, it is necessary to make medium and long-term strategic and policy arrangements for the aging industry and its various subdivisions from the top-level design, middle-level planning and bottom-level operation. By focusing on building a health industry system for the elderly, scientific and technological innovation in the manufacturing industry for the elderly, improving the quality of the aging service industry, improving the environment for the elderly, building a financial support system for the aging industry, prospering the cultural industry for the elderly, building a brand for the aging industry, optimizing the layout of the aging industry, improving the standards of the aging industry and cultivating talents in the aging industry, we will promote the coordinated development of the aging cause and industry, basic public services and diversified services, and strive to meet the multi-level and diversified needs of the elderly.
Efforts should be made to meet the multi-level and diverse needs of the elderly.
What are the practical explorations of various regions and departments in promoting the coordinated development of the aging cause and the industry?
Feng Wenmeng (Researcher, Institute of Public Administration and Human Resources, Development Research Center) :* attaches great importance to coping with the aging of the population, taking it as a national strategy, and constantly promoting the rapid development of the aging cause and industry. All regions and departments have actively explored, and all kinds of subjects entering the field of pension have grown rapidly, related products and services have been continuously enriched, and some effective experiences and practices have been formed.
In terms of the construction of the pension service system, the number of pension institutions has increased, the service capacity has been further improved, the level of urban and rural home-based pension services has been further improved, and the various pension needs of residents have been better met. As of the end of 2022, there were 360,000 elderly care service institutions and facilities with 8.12 million beds in the country, and more than one-sixth of the villages in rural areas had mutual care institutions or facilities for the elderly. The role of the non-public economy has been further strengthened, and the number of public, private, and private assistance has gradually increased, and the coverage of inclusive pension has been significantly expanded. Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Wenzhou and other places have formed an institution-based, home-based elderly care service model, which provides professional care for the elderly living in institutions while also providing various forms of door-to-door services.
In terms of elderly products and services, in recent years, the pension industry has formed a development trend covering the elderly health food, elderly daily necessities, assistive devices, wearable devices, traditional Chinese medicine health, family adaptation to the elderly, elderly sojourn, elderly finance and elderly dating and entertainment, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Jinan, Yantai and other places will hold different forms of international expos for the aging industry every year, and all kinds of new products and services emerge in endlessly. According to incomplete statistics, there are 4,000 types of assistive devices for the elderly in China, and the cost of adaptation and transformation for ordinary elderly families in first-tier cities such as Beijing and Shanghai has dropped to about 10,000 yuan. Relying on new products and services, more and more elderly people have improved their self-care ability and quality of life in their later years.
In terms of medical and health services, various medical products and services are increasingly abundant to improve the health level of the elderly. For example, the smart pill box uses information technology and artificial intelligence technology to manage drugs, remind the elderly to take drugs on time and in accordance with the amount, and detect the phenomenon of repeated medication in the elderly in time by monitoring the use of drugsThe emergence of smart toilets can make it more convenient for the elderly to complete physical examinations while going to the toilet at homeThe research and development of kitchen gas detection and automatic window opening devices can effectively improve the home safety of the elderly with hearing impairment or reduced mobility. At the same time, various forms of integrated medical and elderly care services, such as medical care and medical care, have also developed rapidly. As of the first half of this year, there are 7,000 medical and elderly care institutions with complete certificates. At present, the evaluation of the first batch of national demonstration zones and demonstration institutions for the integration of medical care and elderly care has also been carried out in an orderly manner across the country.
The pilot promotion of the long-term care insurance system has reduced the burden on the elderly and their families on the one hand, and on the other hand, it has greatly leveraged the market demand, and the long-term care services for the disabled (dementia) and semi-disabled elderly have developed rapidly. In 2022, nearly 1 of the 49 pilot cities participated in long-term care insurance700 million people, nearly 1.21 million people enjoying benefits, ** expenditure 104400 million yuan, nearly 7,700 long-term care insurance designated service institutions, more than 330,000 nursing service personnel. Especially in rural areas, the implementation of long-term care insurance has brought multiple benefits. For example, in Lanshan District, Rizhao City, Shandong Province, because of the cost support provided by the long-term care insurance system, medical staff in the village clinic to provide day health care for the disabled and semi-disabled elderly in the village, so that these elderly people can enjoy professional medical care services at a lower cost, greatly reducing the burden on the family.
In addition, many cities such as Yantai, Suzhou, and Liupanshui have regarded the health care industry as an emerging industry to be cultivated in the region, and have successively introduced specific plans such as action plans for the high-quality development of the health care industry. Beijing was the first province to issue regulations on home-based elderly care services, and then Suzhou, Hangzhou and other places have successively promulgated regulations on home-based elderly care services at the regional level to vigorously promote the in-depth development of home-based elderly care.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China has attached great importance to the work of the elderly and issued a series of policy documents to promote the high-quality development of the silver economy. In order to further expand the total supply of pension institutions and help the development of pension enterprises, the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments have successively issued the "Implementation Plan for the Special Action of Urban-Enterprise Linkage for Inclusive Pension (Trial)" and "Several Policies and Measures for Relief and Support of the Pension and Childcare Service Industry" to explore and support social forces and local cooperation to increase the effective supply of inclusive pension. In order to improve the quality and service level of the pension service system, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and other departments have successively issued the "Guidelines for the Construction of the Standard System for Pension Services" and the "Guidelines for the Implementation of National Standards for the Classification and Evaluation of Elderly Care Institutions", and actively carried out special actions for the construction of service quality in nursing homes and the improvement of basic elderly care services at home and in the community. In order to improve the health support system for the elderly, the National Health Commission and other departments took the lead in formulating and implementing the "Guiding Opinions on Establishing and Improving the Health Service System for the Elderly", "Guiding Opinions on Further Promoting the Development of the Integration of Medical Care and Elderly Care", and "Notice on Promoting the Prevention and Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease (2023-2025)". This article**: Economy**).