(Yicai) Oct. 22 -- In 2021, almost 60 percent of China’s elderly population were living in households where their children had grown up and left home, according to a new report, raising concerns about a lack of sufficient eldercare services.

Some 59.7 percent of Chinese senior citizens lived in so-called empty nests that year, up from 49.3 percent in 2010, the report released last week by the China Research Center on Aging showed.

People aged 60 and above who do not have children around to take care of them face greater risks in life, the report pointed out.

Those polled said their health was good overall, but 80 percent of them had chronic diseases, and many lacked access to proper medical services. Also, many were unable to deal with modern smart technologies, with only 36.6 percent knowing how to use a smartphone.

China has a fast-growing elderly population, currently numbering around 300 million, and those aged between 60 and 69 make up 56.2 percent of that, according to the report. In 2021, the elderly in urban areas had an average per capita annual income of about CNY47,270 (USD6,640), with the figure at CNY14,105 (USD1,980) for those in rural China.

Driven by a declining birth rate and rising life expectancy, China’s aging population is a growing concern, with the rise in empty-nest households leading to social isolation and thereby necessitating more community support and eldercare services.

The average number of children living with their parents has fallen notably as the first generation of parents with only one child entered old age, the survey found. In 2021, elderly households had 2.6 children on average, down 0.6 from 2010, increasing the need for better at-home care policies and the urgency for a public eldercare services system.

The report was based on a survey carried out in 2021 by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, and the Office of the National Working Commission on Aging. It was the fifth survey of the living conditions of the elderly in urban and rural China, revealing their life situation in terms of finance, health, social engagement, and other aspects.

Editor: Tom Litting