Traditionally, Chinese people were expected to live with their parents to support and assist them. In rural areas, sons always built their houses near those of their parents.

However, with the fast development of the country’s economy and with the accelerating process of globalization, lifestyles and ideas have changed in China, especially in urban areas.

Many young people, single or married, choose to live away from their parents. It is estimated that by 2005, about 50 percent of senior citizens will not live with their children.

In Beijing, statistics indicate that about one-third of the aged live without their sons or daughters.

Statistics from the China National Committee on Ageing show the number of people over 60 has been growing at an annual rate of 3.2 percent, and the annual growth rate of people over 80 is 5.4 percent.

In some provinces and municipalities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong Province, the aged people make up a great proportion of the population.

The absence of an efficient social security system makes this preponderance of old people a problem.

Many old people prefer living alone at home to living in welfare institutes with other old people. The reason behind this is that many fear living in welfare institutes will make others think their children are not “filially dutiful.”

(China Daily 01/03/2001)