Shandong has more than 20 million senior citizens

JINAN -- East China's Shandong province has more than 20 million people aged above 60, latest official figures have shown.

Shandong recorded about 20.6 million people aged above 60 by the end of last year, accounting for 20.68 percent of its total population, according to provincial office on aging Saturday. That means one in every five Shandong residents is a senior.

"Aging population is increasing rapidly in the province since 2010," said Ding Xibin, an official with the office. "The number of senior citizens increases by 800,000 to 1 million annually."

The provincial government allocated more than 4.78 billion yuan (about $685 million dollars) to support the lives of the elderly last year. Of the total, more than 3.1 billion yuan were given out as pension and 328 million yuan went to old people including those aged above 80, living lonely or facing financial difficulties.

China has more than 220 million people above the age of 60 by the end of 2016, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The country's gray population will account for about one fourth of its total population by 2030, according to the State Council.