A community worker helps an elderly patient with online health insurance services at a hospital in Anqing, Anhui province, in July 2020. (PHOTO / CHINA DAILY)
BEIJING – By the end of 2021, the number of people covered by basic old-age insurance in China had reached nearly 1.03 billion, an increase of 30.07 million over the previous year, according to a report on the country's old-age programs.
The report, jointly released by the National Health Commission and the Office of the National Working Commission on Aging, noted that China had 267.36 million elderly people aged 60 and above by the end of last year, accounting for 18.9 percent of the total population.
By the end of 2021, the country had about 200.56 million elderly people aged 65 and above, of whom over 119.41 million had received health services in urban and rural communities, according to the report.
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By the end of last year, there were 358,000 elderly care institutions and facilities across the country, providing about 8.16 million beds, it added.