China Launches Nationwide Elderly Care Subsidy to Build Senior-Friendly Society

China has introduced a nationwide subsidy program to support elderly people with disabilities in purchasing care services, as part of broader efforts to reduce family burdens and adapt to the country’s rapidly aging population.

The program, which took effect on Jan. 1, was jointly launched by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Finance. It provides seniors who struggle with daily self-care with monthly electronic vouchers over a 12-month period to help offset the cost of elderly care services.

Eligible seniors can receive vouchers worth up to 800 yuan (about 114 U.S. dollars) per person per month. These can be used for a wide range of services, including meal delivery, bathing assistance, housekeeping, mobility support, emergency aid, medical assistance, rehabilitation nursing and daytime care, across home-based, community-based and institutional settings.

During a pilot phase in 2025, the scheme was implemented in four cities and three provincial-level regions, including Shandong Province. A total of 365,100 care service vouchers were issued and used more than 240,000 times, with redeemed funds exceeding 180 million yuan, benefiting tens of thousands of households.

In Xi’an, capital of northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, a senior resident surnamed Sun recently received the first vouchers issued locally. She used them to help cover her husband’s care fees at a nursing institution, where he lives due to a cerebral infarction and Alzheimer’s disease.“My husband’s stay costs 4,500 yuan a month. Now we can save 800 yuan every month,” she said, calling the subsidy “a great start to the year.” The initiative comes as China faces mounting challenges in elderly care. By the end of 2024, around 35 million seniors—about 11 percent of the elderly population—had difficulty caring for themselves. That number is projected to rise to 46 million by 2035.

Du Peng, dean of the School of Population and Health at Renmin University of China, said the subsidies would ease financial pressure on families while improving seniors’ quality of life.“By directing subsidies straight to seniors in need, the program not only releases real demand for home-based and institutional care, but also encourages service providers to improve quality, supporting the high-quality development of the elderly care industry,” Du said.

The subsidy program aligns with China’s long-term strategy to address population aging. Official data shows that China’s population aged 60 and above exceeded 310 million in 2024 and is expected to surpass 400 million by 2035.

Guidelines for China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) emphasize the need to respond proactively to aging, including expanding long-term care insurance, strengthening support systems for seniors with functional impairments, and improving access to rehabilitation services and hospice care.