China will gradually raise the legal retirement age for the first time in decades, according to Xinhua News Agency, as announced on Friday. This change comes as China faces a serious demographic crisis.

In 2023, China’s population declined for the second consecutive year, raising concerns about severe problems for the economy, healthcare system, and social security, with an increasing elderly population and a decreasing birth rate, according to Agence France-Presse.

The government decision indicates that the legal retirement age for men will be gradually increased to 63 years from the current 60 years. For women, it will be raised from 50 to 55 years, or from 55 to 58 years, depending on the nature of their work.