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Ageing society
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Ageing society. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
Commuters in South Korea, where more than 40 per cent of men and more than 65 per cent of women surveyed would be OK with not having children. The country has the world’s lowest fertility rate. Photo: Yonhap/dpa
South Korea

Nearly two-thirds of Korean women OK with being childless, survey finds

South Korea has world’s lowest fertility rate, and 65 per cent of women and 41 per cent of men say they could accept a life without children.

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Japan

Small Japanese firms are going broke at rapid pace amid dire worker shortage

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Science

A liver acid could be an anti-ageing ‘elixir’, Chinese scientists say

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Women and gender

Outrage as scholar asks how can China make women ‘submissively have children’

Professor Wang Xianju was speaking to Kazakhstan’s Erlan Qarin, who said women in his country had free will regarding fertility.

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A professor at Renmin University has asked a visiting Kazakh politician how China could “obediently, submissively have children, have children early and have lots of children”. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Hong Kong ombudsman urges authorities to digitise after-death services

Watchdog calls for public agencies to create one-stop online platform to help bereaved with services amid city’s ageing population.

China's population

Baby boom or bust? The rising cost of China’s childbirth conundrum

World’s second-largest economy is facing unique demographic challenges unlike those seen anywhere in the world, Communist Party publication warns.

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Wellness

Are blue zones a scam?

The secret to longevity seems to be bad data and record-keeping, finds a new study.

Elderly residents rest in the grounds of a temple in Tokyo in 2014 as the country marks Respect-for-the-Aged-Day. Photo: AFP
China society

Opinion | Novelist Chiung Yao’s death rekindles discussion on euthanasia in China

The popular author’s passing has sparked debate on a matter weighed down with stigma despite years in the public consciousness.

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China's population

Does China have the key to unlock a second demographic dividend?

Employers in China asked to create jobs suitable for older workers, with close to 300 million people aged over 60.

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong lawmakers sceptical about checks on mainland care homes for city’s elderly

Mainland will largely regulate facilities run by operators across the border, which are now eligible for scheme targeting elderly Hongkongers.

Hong Kong has rolled out subsidies for the city’s elderly residents to help them stay at 11 care homes in Guangdong province. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
Wellness

More muscles, bigger brain. How weight training can help the mind as we age

Studies show that retaining muscle mass as you age, especially through resistance training, may help safeguard your cognitive health.

Some of the brain changes from resistance exercise persist for months even after training has stopped, a neuroscientist says. Photo: Shutterstock
Wellness

Older and feeling lonely? Go online for better mental health, study says

Staying informed and connected by going online, even once a week, lowers depression scores in over-50s, University of Hong Kong study finds.

Education in Hong Kong

Letters | Yidan Prize laureate shows the power of digital education

Readers discuss the two lessons for Hong Kong educators, elderly couples renewing their marriage vows, sexual harassment at music festivals, and improvements for weather service.

Singapore

Elon Musk’s ‘going extinct’ jab at Singapore spotlights birth rate challenges

‘Ultra low’ fertility rates could affect Singapore’s social fabric and economic competitiveness in the long term, analysts say.

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A young child flanked by his parents in front of the Rain Vortex waterfall inside the Jewel Changi Airport mall in Singapore. Government data showed that Singapore’s total fertility rate fell to a historic low of 0.97 last year. Photo: EPA-EFE
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Hongkongers could face eligibility tests for dental treatment at public clinics

Authorities will also offer free check-ups for preschoolers and affordable services for adolescents.

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An elderly woman of Kwai Tsing is getting her teeth cleaned at a dental truck in Lai King. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
Hong Kong society

Opinion | Hong Kong must break the taboos around end-of-life care and death

With a law passed on advanced medical directives, the onus is on government to provide life-and-death education and facilitate discussion.

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Hong Kong economy

Letters | Rest and recovery will help Hong Kong compete at top level again

Readers discuss misplaced pessimism over the city’s difficulties, the challenge of an ageing labour force, faith in our economic fundamentals, and equal marriage rights.

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Health in China

China promotes fidelity for elderly as HIV/Aids cases rise in over 50s

Rising infection rates attributed to loneliness, a lack of understanding about safe sex and reluctance to discuss it with doctors.

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China is among countries facing rising HIV/AIDS cases among its elderly population. An estimated quarter of people living with HIV globally were aged 50 years and over in 2023, according to UNAIDS. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong economy

Letters | Foreign talent can’t be Hong Kong’s only answer to labour crunch

Readers discuss the need for local solutions to city’s ageing labour force, ways to enliven the harbourfront, the US-China prisoner swap, and what Trump’s MAGA movement means.

How to age well

Elderly couples often don’t talk. How to reconnect and stay interested

People together a long time can be emotionally distant. Regularly starting a conversation, listening and empathising, can help close the gap.

Tourism

5 golden rules of retirement travel to make the most of golden years trips

With no job to go back to or kids in tow, retirement travel is easy. Don’t delay ticking off that bucket list but don’t rush or overschedule.

A retired couple at an airport. Being free of work commitments can make travel a breeze for retirees. Photo: Shutterstock
Indonesia

Why more Indonesian couples are saying no to children

With rising costs and changing priorities, more Indonesians are choosing to live childfree – raising some demographic concerns.

Children look at their mobile phones along a roadside in Jakarta on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong society

Letters | Time to enforce building code for barrier-free access in Hong Kong

Readers discuss the slow pace of change to cater to wheelchair users, tackling hospitals’ operational issues, elderly people who live alone and the call for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.

Wellness

69 and 70, they’re poster boys for cycling’s health benefits

Doctors told Jimmy Poon he was disabled. Then he got on his bike. Patrick Ho is alive today because he began feeling breathless while riding.

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Banking & finance

Hong Kong’s jobs market dims as 46% of workers show weaker confidence about prospects

Only 55 per cent of employers expect to give pay increases ranging from 1 to 5 per cent, a Robert Walters survey shows.

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The city’s working professionals are becoming risk averse about switching jobs. Photo: Dickson Lee
South Korea

South Korean students call tutor titan’s childbirth advice ‘sexually humiliating’

MegaStudy Group chairman Son Joo-eun slammed for telling school students that ‘giving birth is more important than going to college’.

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Babies at a postnatal care centre in Seoul. A South Korean tutoring firm’s boss has come under fire for telling school students to prioritise childbirth over higher education. Photo: EPA-EFE/Yonhap
US-China relations

Letters | A Trump administration of China hawks makes diplomacy vital

Readers discuss rising US-China tensions, Hong Kong’s push to help older adults keep up with technology, and air connections to mainland cities.

Britain

World’s oldest man, John Tinniswood, dies in England at 112

The British centenarian, born the same year the Titanic sank in 1912, attributed his longevity to “pure luck” and moderation.

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