China has started a new pilot program to use robots in elderly care. The government wants to reduce the pressure on families and carers. It is asking different organisations to join and help improve how robots are used in smart elderly care. This move comes as the country faces a shortage of workers in this area.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, along with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, made an announcement on Monday (June 9). It talked about three main areas where elderly care is needed—at home, in communities, and in care institutions.

According to the notice accessed by the South China Morning Post, the goal is to improve the “quality of life for senior citizens” by lowering the burden on family caregivers. The notice also talks about the “labour shortages in communities and institutional care” and says that robots might help strengthen the “overall elderly care infrastructure.”

The programme will run for the next three years. Companies that take part will test over 200 robot systems in more than 200 homes. They can also install at least 20 robots in 20 different communities or care institutions.

“They are also encouraged to develop industry standards and evaluation frameworks,” the report highlighted.

China’s ageing population problem

This new programme is happening as China deals with a big challenge—a fast-ageing population. This is mostly due to the old one-child policy, fewer babies being born, and people living longer lives.

Government data shows that by the end of 2024, more than 300 million people in China were aged 60 and above. That is 22 per cent of the country’s total population. Over 200 million of them were 65 or older, which is more than 15 per cent of the total.

A report by Pew Research says that by 2035, one-third of China’s people (around 400 million) will be over 60. This could create problems for the country’s manufacturing sector, as it depends heavily on a young workforce.

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