The World's Most Populous Country Is Turning Gray
- Shrinking labor force would create a drag on consumption
- Lopsided population balance puts strain on economic growth
Elderly people at Fuxing Park in Shanghai.
Photographer: Qilai Shen/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The world’s most populous country is turning gray at an accelerating pace.
That aging has big implications for China’s economic growth, which could be undermined as the labor force declines sharply from 2021 to 2030. It also strains the nation’s expenditures for public services, insurance, and health care, and puts a dent in domestic consumption.