The Living Conditions and Wellbeing of Rural Elderly Women in China

• In Event: Rural Women in East Asia and Southeast Asia

Abstract

China is ageing rapidly with the number of people aged 60 and above reaching 200 million. Traditionally, adult children are the primary source of care for the elderly. However, as a combined result of decline in the number of children, enhanced life expectancy and increase in labor mobility, 46% Chinese elderly live either alone or with spouse only. Among them, more than 60% live in rural areas where the social safety-net remains severely inadequate. Furthermore, women generally live longer but are in poorer health conditions than men. Consequently, the empty-nesters of rural women elderly are arguably the most vulnerable group of the aging population. The living conditions and wellbeing of this particular group are precisely the focus of this paper.

We employ data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), the only dataset available that is representative of the Chinese population aged 45 and above. We first identify the group of most vulnerable elderly and then investigate their demographics, social-economic characteristics as well as their access to social and informal assistance. We also analyze the underlying factors of their overall wellbeing, encompassing both the quality of physical life and their mental and psychological status. Preliminary findings demonstrate that the wellbeing of elderly correlates significantly with their age, gender, rural-urban status, SES and household composition. The interplay between the living arrangements of these elderly and their health status is complex. We conclude with suggestions as to how policies can better target and assist these disabled and isolated elderly.

Author

• Tao Kong, Peking University