On October 21, during a press conference in Beijing, Li Yongxin, the deputy director of the Department of Aging Services at China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs, shared some impressive statistics regarding elderly care services. By the end of the second quarter of 2024, the country is expected to have 410,000 various elderly care institutions and facilities. Notably, community-based elderly care facilities have surged to 369,000, reflecting a remarkable increase of 100% and 120% compared to 2019, respectively.
This announcement was part of the “Five Years of Civil Affairs” thematic press briefing. Li emphasized that during the 14th Five-Year Plan, the Ministry has initiated projects aimed at enhancing home and community-based elderly care services. These efforts have supported 184 projects across different regions, leading to the establishment of 347,000 home care beds and providing in-home care services to an impressive 647,000 individuals.
At the same event, Zhao Yong, deputy director and primary inspector of the Ministry’s Department of Child Welfare, highlighted advancements in child welfare. He reported that by the end of the second quarter of 2024, approximately 141,000 orphans are receiving basic living security nationwide. Among those in institutional care, the average support standard is 1,953.0 yuan per person per month, while the average standard for socially independent orphans is 1,496.6 yuan. Additionally, about 414,000 children with no caregivers have been included in the support system, receiving an average of 1,481.1 yuan per person per month.
Wang Xiaodong, deputy director of the Department of Geographic Names, also provided updates on the continuous improvement of China’s National Geographic Names Information Database. He noted that over 14 million data entries have been collected, which are now part of the data-sharing list issued by the State Council. This initiative aims to support the modernization of the national governance system and enhance governance capabilities.
The Ministry also launched the “Famous Villages Action” in May 2023, aimed at revitalizing rural areas. Discussing the outcomes of this initiative, Wang mentioned that by mid-October 2024, there have been standardized naming efforts for 450,000 village names, the installation of 350,000 village name signs, and 14.5 million building number plates. Furthermore, over 9 million rural place names have been accurately marked on internet map platforms.
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