China's elderly-care sector is undergoing rapid structural transformation, driven by demographic pressure and policy support. The silver economy—defined as all products, services and consumption tied to people aged 50 and above—reached 8.3 trillion yuan in 2024 and is projected to exceed 20 trillion yuan within the next decade, according to data from the State Information Center.
China's population aged 60 and above exceeded 310 million in 2024 and is projected to surpass 400 million by 2035. This demographic shift has prompted government action. In January 2026, eight government ministries jointly released measures to cultivate elderly-care service operators and boost silver-economy development, outlining 14 targeted policies. That same month, the State Council issued a consumption-expansion plan for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), explicitly calling for growth in elderly-care consumption and services.
On the ground, this policy framework is materializing through community-based platforms that connect seniors' unmet needs with service providers. Shanghai's silver-age store, launched in December 2025, exemplifies this model. Operating across 1,200 square meters, the facility houses dozens of Chinese and foreign brands offering more than 100 categories of age-friendly products and services.
The store's strategy centers on a "wish wall"—handwritten requests from elderly visitors detailing specific product and service gaps such as stair lifts, accessible bathroom renovations, ergonomic nail clippers and anti-slip flooring.
Operational metrics reveal commercial viability. The store receives 300 to 500 daily visitors during peak seasons, with monthly sales averaging 500,000 yuan ($74,197). Monthly preliminary orders for home age-adaptation renovations average around 1 million yuan, suggesting consumer willingness to invest in premium, customized solutions.
Song Xiaobao, assistant general manager of Shanghai Aging Industry Development Co., which operates the store, described the model as "demand cross-matching," connecting seniors' real-world needs with brands developing home-based elderly-care businesses.
The experience-first retail model appears to reduce consumer hesitation around unfamiliar technology. The store features demonstration zones where seniors can interact with smart wheelchairs, exoskeleton robots, fall-proof vests and accessible shower chairs before purchasing. Many initial visitors return with measuring tapes to draft custom renovation plans, indicating that trial experiences translate into demand.
Similar silver-care stores have opened in Beijing, Jinan in Shandong Province, and Suzhou in Jiangsu Province, suggesting the model is replicable across regional markets.
Zhang Yi, CEO of iiMedia Research, said the silver economy encompasses far more than nursing care, including daily supplies, life services, healthcare, entertainment and retirement-planning products. This full-chain industry structure positions it to boost domestic consumption, improve population livelihoods and drive economic upgrading.
The eight ministries' January policy targets include optimizing product supply chains for senior care and age-friendly goods, expanding "15-minute convenient-life service circles," building digital platforms that connect suppliers with service providers and elderly consumers, and accelerating research and development in robotics, rehabilitation aids and smart-home elderly-care technologies.
Zhang noted that the post-1960s and post-1970s cohorts will enter old age over the next five to ten years, generating rising demand for premium elderly-care services. Current market penetration remains incomplete, with most seniors, particularly those in rural and lower-income urban areas, lacking access to experience-first retail platforms and premium services.
Zhou Lida, who operates a hearing rehabilitation booth at the Shanghai store, noted that the space originally served solely promotional purposes but has exceeded sales expectations, validating the shared-model economics.
The convergence of demographic necessity, policy support and demonstrated market viability suggests the silver economy will remain a growth sector over the next decade. Whether this expansion proves sustainable depends partly on whether platforms can maintain affordability for lower-income seniors while generating sufficient margins to sustain service-provider operations.
