Characteristics of floating elderly in China — analysis based on the sixth population census data in China

Xiangjing Meng, Renmin University of China

Floating elderly means kind of elderly migrants who live in an area more than half year without their household transferred in China. The 2010 population census data shows that the total floating elderly is 9.34 million and it increased in the past decade. Since no household registration in the new place, floating elderly usually will face more social and economic problems than the migrant elderly. They need more help from the family members, community and society. This paper will use the population census data to analyze the demographic characteristics of population elderly and try to figure out their policy implications and influences. The results showed that the selectivity is high among the floating elderly in sex, age, education, marriage statues, healthy condition and economic situation. More than half of the floating elderly has lived in the floated place more than 5 years. The proportion of long-distance floating elderly has been increased.