A picture proves the change in relative ages of US and Chinese delegations.
China has the world’s largest older population, the U.S. follows.
Despite battling out being the world’s oldest nation, a picture may have already given us the answers.
A meeting between Chinese trade officials and members of Congress on May just showed the age difference in both nations.
According to GZERO Media, a side-by-side meme, where the contrasts were seen and went viral globally, reflects an interesting narrative: China, the rising star, just turned the tables on a graying US hegemony.
China: Aging faster
Although the image can show a rapidly aging U.S. Congress, it’s China who’s growing at a rapid rate.
The world’s second largest economy has aged rapidly over the last two decades, and this has them worried about too many graybeards and not enough young workers to support them.
So, in a surprising turn of events, Beijing, according to Bloomberg, is planning to lift the two-child-per-family limit it put in place after the end of its infamous one-child policy a few years back.
According to World Bank Group, during the years that the one-child policy was in effect, life expectancy in China improved from 67 to 75 and fertility rate decreased from 2.8 to 1.7, presenting considerable social challenges, as retirees will soon skyrocket and healthcare will be hard to provide.
China Power states the one-child policy also contributed to a gender imbalance among China’s younger population, as some women elected to have sex-selective abortions to ensure that their only child was male.
USA: Towards a demographic milestone
When the clock strikes 2030, aging seniors are set to outrun the young U.S. population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Data reveals there will be 78.0 million people with 65 years or older compared to 76.4 million under the age of 18, causing a rise in dependency ratio, for example.
Read more here on how the 2030s are set to become a transformative decade for the U.S.
