# Healthy Aging Index Report: Insights From 38 Major Chinese Cities

## TL;DR

This study evaluates how well 38 major Chinese cities are prepared for aging populations using a Health Aging Index, finding significant disparities between coastal and inland cities.

## Contribution

The study introduces a Health Aging Index with 43 indicators to assess cities' readiness for aging populations in China.

## Key findings

- Beijing scored highest (58.5) in healthy aging readiness, while Guiyang scored lowest (42.30).
- Coastal cities outperformed inland cities in healthcare scores (10.5 vs. 8.5).
- Guiyang had a notably low score (2.47) in social security and finance.

## Abstract

The construction of a Health Aging Index is pivotal for evaluating cities’ readiness for an aging society. Utilizing the analytic hierarchy process, this study developed an index encompassing five areas (each score ranged 1-20): health care, living environment, transportation, social fairness and participation, and social security and finance, with 43 specific indicators. The evaluation of 38 Chinese large and medium size cities (bigger than 1 million population) revealed uneven development. Coastal cities, for instance, averaged 10.5 in health care, compared to 8.5 for some inland cities. Overall, Beijing led with a score of 58.5, while Guiyang scored 42.30, with a notably low score (2.47) in social security and finance. To foster healthy aging in China, tailored policies should be developed based on city-specific needs. Long-term care insurance systems must be strengthened to integrate medical and care services, and urban infrastructure should be enhanced to create age-friendly environments.

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12759396