From Family to Formal Support? Generational Shifts and Hybrid Patterns in Aging China: An Age–Period–Cohort Analysis

• In Event: Student Forum Roundtables Session
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Roundtable 11: Aging, Care, and the Life Course

Abstract

Abstract
China’s aging population raises critical questions about the evolving balance between family-based and formal support for older adults. Understanding how age, period, and cohort factors shape these patterns is essential for distinguishing life-cycle processes from historical and generational change. Using five waves of data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011–2020; 48,874 observations, ages 60–100), this study applies Hierarchical Age–Period–Cohort Models to examine financial and caregiving support from family and formal sources. Results indicate that with age, older adults receive more caregiving but less financial support from family, especially after age 80. Period effects reflect policy-driven shifts such as pension expansion and eldercare development. Cohort effects highlight transitions from collectivist to market-oriented socialization, leading to generational disparities in reliance on family versus formal systems. By integrating structural and cultural perspectives, this study contributes to understanding support transformations in rapidly aging societies within and beyond China.

What this paper adds
• Proposes a generational typology linking life course trajectories with historical contexts to analyze cohort-based differences in later-life support.
• Provides cross-generational evidence from a rapidly aging society, advancing international understanding of structural and cultural forces shaping late-life support transformations.
Application of study findings
• The study underscores the hybrid support models across generations, suggesting the need for integrated policies that coordinate family-based and formal care systems.
• For older cohorts, enhancing intergenerational caregiving and providing flexible family assistance can sustain traditional support networks.
• For younger cohorts, expanding equitable access to pensions and community-based care will strengthen the adaptability and resilience of aging support systems.

Keywords: family care, pension, financial support, life course, APC models

Authors

• Xu Zhang, Xiamen University

• Yazhen Yang, Xiamen University