Skip to main content

Site navigation

  • University of Technology Sydney home
  • Home

    Home
  • For students

  • For industry

  • Research

Explore

  • Courses
  • Events
  • News
  • Stories
  • People

For you

  • Libraryarrow_right_alt
  • Staffarrow_right_alt
  • Alumniarrow_right_alt
  • Current studentsarrow_right_alt
  • Study at UTS

    • arrow_right_alt Find a course
    • arrow_right_alt Course areas
    • arrow_right_alt Undergraduate students
    • arrow_right_alt Postgraduate students
    • arrow_right_alt Research Masters and PhD
    • arrow_right_alt Online study and short courses
  • Student information

    • arrow_right_alt Current students
    • arrow_right_alt New UTS students
    • arrow_right_alt Graduates (Alumni)
    • arrow_right_alt High school students
    • arrow_right_alt Indigenous students
    • arrow_right_alt International students
  • Admissions

    • arrow_right_alt How to apply
    • arrow_right_alt Entry pathways
    • arrow_right_alt Eligibility
arrow_right_altVisit our hub for students

For you

  • Libraryarrow_right_alt
  • Staffarrow_right_alt
  • Alumniarrow_right_alt
  • Current studentsarrow_right_alt

POPULAR LINKS

  • Apply for a coursearrow_right_alt
  • Current studentsarrow_right_alt
  • Scholarshipsarrow_right_alt
  • Featured industries

    • arrow_right_alt Agriculture and food
    • arrow_right_alt Defence and space
    • arrow_right_alt Energy and transport
    • arrow_right_alt Government and policy
    • arrow_right_alt Health and medical
    • arrow_right_alt Corporate training
  • Explore

    • arrow_right_alt Tech Central
    • arrow_right_alt Case studies
    • arrow_right_alt Research
arrow_right_altVisit our hub for industry

For you

  • Libraryarrow_right_alt
  • Staffarrow_right_alt
  • Alumniarrow_right_alt
  • Current studentsarrow_right_alt

POPULAR LINKS

  • Find a UTS expertarrow_right_alt
  • Partner with usarrow_right_alt
  • Explore

    • arrow_right_alt Explore our research
    • arrow_right_alt Research centres and institutes
    • arrow_right_alt Graduate research
    • arrow_right_alt Research partnerships
arrow_right_altVisit our hub for research

For you

  • Libraryarrow_right_alt
  • Staffarrow_right_alt
  • Alumniarrow_right_alt
  • Current studentsarrow_right_alt

POPULAR LINKS

  • Find a UTS expertarrow_right_alt
  • Research centres and institutesarrow_right_alt
  • University of Technology Sydney home
Explore the University of Technology Sydney
Category Filters:
University of Technology Sydney home University of Technology Sydney home
  1. home
  2. arrow_forward_ios ... Newsroom
  3. arrow_forward_ios ... 2018
  4. arrow_forward_ios 03
  5. arrow_forward_ios China's ageing population - with Lauren Johnston

China's ageing population - with Lauren Johnston

22 March 2018
ACRI Podcast

Some analysts suggest that China’s long-term economic development prospects are stymied by its ageing population, and claim that China will ‘grow old before it gets rich’. Does this mean China will never get rich? Are countries more likely to become rich if their population is young? How do Australia’s ageing population challenges compare with China’s? What impact will an ageing China have on Australian exports?

Lauren Johnston, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne, joins James Laurenceson, Deputy Director of the Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) at the University of Technology Sydney to discuss the effects of China’s ageing population on its economy and the need to refresh debate about the effects of demographic changes on economic development.

Play on SoundCloud  

Guest: Lauren Johnston, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Melbourne

Host: James Laurenceson, Deputy Director, Australia-China Relations Institute, University of Technology Sydney

Some analysts suggest that China’s long-term economic development prospects are stymied by its ageing population, and claim that China will ‘grow old before it gets rich’.

Does this mean China will never get rich? Are countries more likely to become rich if their population is young? How do Australia’s ageing population challenges compare with China’s? What impact will an ageing China have on Australian exports?

Lauren Johnston joins James Laurenceson to discuss the effects of China’s ageing population on its economy and the need to refresh debate about the effects of demographic changes on economic development.

The notion that China was ‘getting old before rich’ originated from research in the mid-1980s by Wu Canping, a demographer at Renmin University. Wu argued that the one child policy and fall in fertility rates would result in China’s population having a high share of those aged over 65 before the country could achieve high-income status and recognition as a developed economy.

However, demographic structures across the world have shifted since this assessment. More recently, most countries entering the high-income bracket are already old. Women are having fewer children or delaying childbirth, and improved healthcare services contribute to longer life expectancies.

There are structural differences between Australia’s and China’s ageing populations. Australia may be described as a ‘rich and old’ country – one that has an ageing population but is comparatively wealthy. China, on the other hand, may be described as ‘old and not yet rich’. Most of China’s senior citizens were poor for most of their lifetimes, and don’t drive consumption trends.

The Chinese government has made significant investment in education over the last three decades. This means there is higher potential for productivity and innovation gains, which in turn could open up new frontiers of growth for China and potentially drive it into the high-income group. By contrast, the human capital gap between Australia’s young and old is narrower.

Australia has more experience in managing its ageing population, and is sharing lessons with China as it develops its aged care sector. In terms of tourism, China’s ‘silver market’ has not been targeted as much as it could be, as China’s senior citizens are now wealthier and are in a better financial position to travel overseas. The Australian tourism industry could introduce methods to attract senior Chinese citizens to make their first trip abroad to Australia, catering to their specific requirements.

Theme music by Sam J Mitchell.

Share
Share this on Facebook Share this on Twitter Share this on LinkedIn
Back to The ACRI Podcast

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation and the Boorooberongal People of the Dharug Nation upon whose ancestral lands our campuses now stand. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands. 

University of Technology Sydney

City Campus

15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007

Get in touch with UTS

Follow us

  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Facebook

A member of

  • Australian Technology Network
Use arrow keys to navigate within each column of links. Press Tab to move between columns.

Study

  • Find a course
  • Undergraduate
  • Postgraduate
  • How to apply
  • Scholarships and prizes
  • International students
  • Campus maps
  • Accommodation

Engage

  • Find an expert
  • Industry
  • News
  • Events
  • Experience UTS
  • Research
  • Stories
  • Alumni

About

  • Who we are
  • Faculties
  • Learning and teaching
  • Sustainability
  • Initiatives
  • Equity, diversity and inclusion
  • Campus and locations
  • Awards and rankings
  • UTS governance

Staff and students

  • Current students
  • Help and support
  • Library
  • Policies
  • StaffConnect
  • Working at UTS
  • UTS Handbook
  • Contact us
  • Copyright © 2025
  • ABN: 77 257 686 961
  • CRICOS provider number: 00099F
  • TEQSA provider number: PRV12060
  • TEQSA category: Australian University
  • Privacy
  • Copyright
  • Disclaimer
  • Accessibility