For decades, Chinese workers have retired relatively early. That’s about to change

Hong Kong CNN —

For decades, Chinese workers have wrapped up their working lives at relatively young ages: 60 for men and as early as 50 for women.

But all that is about to change as the Chinese government passed new legislation on Friday laying out a plan to delay the retirement age over the course of 15 years, starting January 1, according to state news agency Xinhua.

Existing rules stated that men in urban areas could retire at 60 and receive their pensions, and women at 50 or 55, depending on their occupation. The new rules gradually push back the age to 63 for men, and to 55 and 58, respectively, for women.

The measures, which were approved by the country’s top lawmaking body following signaling from a key Communist Party body in July, also lay out plans to extend the minimum working period for employees to receive a monthly pension from 15 to 20 years, with changes starting from 2030.

They also include some flexibility in retirement age, especially for those who have already completed the minimum working period.

The change, which the government has been considering for about a decade, comes as China’s economy slows while Beijing grapples with the looming consequences of a rapidly aging population and a pension funding crisis.

The announcement sparked immediate widespread discussion – and backlash – across Chinese social media.

Some social media users appeared encouraged that the changes weren’t more drastic and included some flexibility. One comment on the X-like social media platform Weibo that garnered thousands of likes said: “As long as there are options to retire or not based on our will, I have no objections.”

Others voiced discontent over the prospect of delayed access to their pension and years of