China’s Silver Economy Expands with New Service Options
China’s silver economy is entering a new phase of growth, driven by a rapidly aging population and evolving consumer demands that are reshaping the elderly care and tourism industries. At the Silver Economy High-Quality Development and Health Care Industry Co-creation Forum held in Harbin on August 1, government officials, industry leaders, and experts gathered to chart new pathways for the sector, which is now estimated at approximately 7 trillion yuan—roughly 6% of GDP, according to Xinhua News Agency.
A Growing Demographic Force
China has officially entered a moderately aging society. As of the end of 2025, the population aged 60 and above reached 323.38 million, accounting for 23.0% of the total population. Projections suggest this figure will exceed 400 million by 2035, meaning roughly one in three or four people in China will be elderly. This demographic shift is creating unprecedented demand for senior-focused products and services across health care, tourism, technology, and consumer protection.
The silver economy’s market potential was further underscored at the 2026 Dalian Davos Forum in June, where experts discussed whether aging can be transformed into economic resources. As Southern Metropolis Daily reported, analysts estimated the sector represents approximately 7 trillion yuan in opportunities, with projections suggesting the market could reach 30 trillion yuan by 2035.
Harbin’s Health Tourism Push
The forum, themed “Smart Protection for Silver Age, Health Care in Ice City: Building a Vibrant Ecosystem for Elderly Care,” brought together over 100 representatives from administrative departments, industry associations, and leading national enterprises. It was organized by Xinhua Net, Xinhua News Agency Heilongjiang Branch, and Harbin Modern Group Cultural Tourism Investment Group, as detailed by Heilongjiang Daily.
Harbin, which attracts over 1 million elderly visitors annually for summer retreats and health tourism, unveiled 10 premium health tourism routes and 100 check-in points for elderly travelers. The routes are designed around the city as a hub, connecting forest, wetland, hot spring, and mineral spring resources with senior-friendly accommodation and professional therapy services.
“The elderly population has relatively ample travel time and places greater emphasis on health, cultural, and social experiences during trips,” said Zhang Jianbin, Chief Strategy Officer of CTS Travel and Chairman of CTS Haoshiguang. “Developing residential health tourism cannot just mean extending accommodation duration; we must also establish product and service standards suitable for the elderly.”
Heilongjiang Province is leveraging its distinctive natural assets to develop differentiated offerings. Yichun is building forest-based wellness services, Wudalianchi is developing products around its volcanic cold springs, and Heihe combines border river tours with ecological wellness. “Heilongjiang possesses distinctive resources including border rivers, wetlands, forest seas, and ice and snow,” said Dong Pu, Director of the Heilongjiang Provincial Department of Civil Affairs. “We can further enrich year-round residential health tourism products around forest wellness, wetland healing, hot spring recuperation, ice-snow residence, and traditional Chinese medicine rehabilitation.”
Smart Technology Integration
A key highlight of the forum was the release of Harbin’s “Smart Elderly Care Application” city plan, which promotes vital sign monitoring, emergency call devices, and smart health tourism services. The initiative aims to open county-level elderly care platforms, street-level care centers, community service stations, and senior care institutions to technology-enabled solutions.
High-tech products showcased at the event included the Jiwo smart ring, which uses brain-computer interface technology to enhance balance; the Yibandai anti-fall vest; the Yueban smart toilet robot; and Shanghai Lianying hearing aids. These innovations reflect a broader trend of integrating digital technology into elderly care services, as Harbin TV News reported.
“Digital technology can analyze the health status of residents and provide corresponding services based on age, physical condition, and chronic disease status,” said Yan Qingchun, President of the China Association of Geriatric Health. “Once health records and service data are connected across regions, elderly people can continue their original health management plans even when changing residential locations.”
Liao Shiye, Chairman of Everbright Elderly Care Health Industry Development Co., Ltd., emphasized the importance of a people-centered approach: “The essence of smart elderly care is people-oriented; technology is merely a means, and service is the core. Future competition in the health care industry will increasingly manifest as competition in technology, service, ecosystem, and comprehensive service capabilities.”
Consumer Protection and Industry Standards
Xinhua Net officially launched its “Silver Age Protection Plan” at the forum, focusing on elderly consumer safety and anti-fraud protection. The initiative includes a partnership with the China Quality Miles Promotion Association to establish a consumer rights protection channel specifically for elderly consumers, addressing growing concerns about fraud targeting seniors.
He Lijun, a researcher at the Ministry of Civil Affairs Aging Work Department, framed the silver economy as both a social and economic imperative: “The silver economy is a sunrise industry and a happiness industry. It requires participation and coordinated efforts from all sectors of society, as well as coordinated promotion of both public welfare and industrial development.”
The forum was structured around four sections—“Happy Nurturing,” “Happy Enjoyment,” “Happy Travel,” and “Happy Creation”—reflecting the diverse dimensions of elderly life. This framework signals a shift from viewing elderly care as merely a welfare concern to recognizing it as a comprehensive ecosystem spanning health, leisure, travel, and personal fulfillment.
Broader Economic Implications
The expansion of China’s silver economy comes at a critical juncture. Elderly tourism has emerged as one of the fastest-growing segments: in 2024, silver-age travel orders grew over 22% year-on-year, outpacing the overall market by 7 percentage points, according to Investment World. Over 60% of middle-aged and elderly people now travel at least once per year.
The 2026 Entrepreneur Sun Island Annual Forum, which concluded in Harbin on August 2 with the theme “New Quality Productive Forces: New Breakthroughs, New Pathways, New Prospects, New Achievements,” served as a platform for broader discussions on industrial development. As Xinhua Net reported, the forum brought together political, business, and academic leaders to explore new pathways for cultivating new quality productive forces.
Yang Aiguo, Deputy Secretary-General of the Harbin Municipal Government, outlined the city’s commitment to the sector: “Harbin has a profound cultural heritage in elderly care, scarce summer health and wellness resources, and a tiered, full-coverage elderly care hardware support system. In the future, Harbin will focus on four major areas: digital smart elderly care, year-round residential health tourism, industrial development ecosystem, and livelihood bottom-line protection.”
What to Watch Next
As China’s silver economy continues to expand, several key developments merit attention. The implementation of Harbin’s smart elderly care plan will serve as a test case for technology-enabled aging services in cold-region cities. The push for cross-regional health data connectivity could transform how elderly health tourism operates nationwide, enabling seamless care across provinces.
Industry leaders’ emphasis on establishing product and service standards specifically for elderly consumers suggests the sector is maturing beyond basic offerings. With the silver economy projected to reach 30 trillion yuan by 2035, the race is on for cities, companies, and policymakers to capture a share of this rapidly growing market.
The forum’s success in bringing together government, industry, and academia reflects a coordinated national approach to addressing population aging—one that views the demographic challenge not merely as a social burden, but as a significant economic opportunity.