按照联合国的统计标准，当一个国家60岁以上的人口达到总人口的10%，或65岁以上人口占总人口的7%时，就表明该国已进入了 “老龄社会”，中国早在7年前就已步入老龄社会。

目前中国60岁以上的老人已经达到了1.45亿，占总人口的11%，并进入老年人口数量迅速增长的阶段，老年人口正以年均高于3%的速度增长。专家预测，30年后，中国60岁以上的人口数量将超过4个亿。中国正面临着急剧老龄化带来的种种社会问题，养老问题成为其中最突出的。

目前中国人口生育率已经下降到低水平，独生子女家庭成为东部地区主要的家庭形式，独生子女父母一代正在进入老年；人口迁移流动频繁导致家庭规模进一步小型化，老年人的居住方式发生变化，独居老年人增多。多达1.4亿多的年轻农民向城市流动，加快了农村人口老龄化的步伐，农村出现了大量的“留守老人”；农村老年人在经济上的自立能力仍然不强，社会保障制度建设落后于实际需要。

欧美国家在进入老龄化的时候，国民生产总值一般都在5000美元至1万美元，现在平均也是人均2万美元。中国在进入老龄化的时候人均GDP仅为1000美元左右，未富先老的特点让中国的养老面临更加严峻的形势。中国人口老龄化最快的时期老年人数增加1亿的时间只需要12年，中国的养老金储备能够保证在12年内有相应的增长吗？

在零点研究咨询集团今年发布的一项调查结果显示，中国城乡居民对于养老问题有忧虑者的比例出现大幅上升，有超过32％的受访者，表示出对养老问题非常担忧和比较担忧，尤其对于养老照料问题上升比例更大。

中国即将进入人口老龄化迅速发展时期，2025年以后进入高速增长期。对于每一个人来说，12年的时间可以算是相当长的一段时间，然而对于建立并完善社会保障制度来说，这却是相当短的时间。摆在中国面前的是任务是艰巨和急迫。养老问题不仅仅是民生问题，它对中国的政治、经济、社会、心理和精神都将带来重大的影响。

中国共产党的十七大报告中提出了努力使全体人民“老有所养”，“加快建立覆盖城乡居民的社会保障体系，保障人民基本生活”的目标任务。中国政府近日宣布，到２０２０年，所有老年居民均能享有基本的生活保障。为此，中国将加快推进建立覆盖城乡居民的养老保障体系，逐步实现由城镇为主向城乡统筹、由城镇职工为主向覆盖城乡居民的重大转变。同时在有条件的地区建立新型农村养老保险制度，逐步解决农村老年人口的基本生活保障问题。

2000多年前中国的思想家孟子说过，“老吾老，及人之老”；在中国政府致力于建设一个和谐社会的今天,使全社会所有的老人衣食无忧,安度晚年,应该是这个理想社会的一个重要因素.

An aging society is defined by the UN as one where 10 percent of its population are aged above 60 years or those 65 years old and above make up 7 percent of the whole population. By this definition, China became an aging society seven years ago.

Currently, China is home to 145 million people aged 60 years and above, accounting for 11 percent of the country's population; and this group is growing at a rate of over 3 percent, meaning the country now has a sharply increasing elderly population.

It is predicted by experts that in the next three decades, China will see its population aged above 60 years exceed 4 billion. This brings with it many problems, including the need for the development of China's old-age care system.

As the birth rate drops and migration changes social dynamics, aging parents of one-child families are now often found living alone. Every year, 140 million young farmers will move into cities, leaving behind a large number of aging parents, and in rural areas, most elderly people are incapable of being financially independent and the social security system there cannot meet their actual needs.

When most Western countries entered their aging period, their per-capita GDP was $5,000-10,000 (today it is about $20,000). However, when China became an aging society, its per-capita GDP was only $1,000. To have so many old people before it becomes a rich country makes the challenge even bigger for China. Seen at the quickest possible increase, the country could see an increase of 1 billion elderly in 12 years. The question needs to be asked: Is it possible for China to increase its pension reserves correspondingly in the same period of time?

A survey issued by Beijing-based Horizon Research Group in 2007 shows that more Chinese citizens, both rural and urban dwellers, worry about their old-age security. Thirty-two percent of those surveyed said that they are very anxious or quite anxious about this problem. Even greater numbers are concerned by the quality of care they might be given as they get older.

The 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China held in October 2007 proposed the objective to ensure all Chinese people to enjoy the right to old-age care. The deadline for this is 2020. To achieve this objective, China will accelerate the establishment of an old-age security system that covers both rural and urban areas and gradually transforming the city-centered security network into one that covers the whole nation. At the same time, in places where conditions allow, the new-type rural old-age insurance system is to be set up, to gradually provide the rural elderly population with basic living security.

Twelve years is a lengthy period of time for an individual, but as far as the development and improvement of the social security system is concerned, it's just a blink. China is faced with an arduous and urgent task, as old-age care is not only a matter of people's livelihood, but it will also exert huge impacts on China's political, economic and social development, and even people's mental state.

More than 2,000 years ago, Mencius, a famous philosopher, said that in an ideal society, everyone would take care of his own seniors and further to others'. Today, under the Chinese Government's efforts to build a harmonious society, to provide help for the elderly to make their golden years happy should be an important part of this lofty ideal.