HSK 4 · Article · 338 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/what-is-the-retirement-age-in-china

晚三年退休

What is the retirement age in China?

Name: ________________ Date: ________

在zài中国zhōngguó，很hěn长cháng一段时间yíduàn-shíjiān里li，男人nánrén六十liùshí岁suì退休tuìxiū，女人nǚrén五十wǔshí岁suì或者huòzhě五十五wǔshíwǔ岁suì退休tuìxiū。这个zhège规定guīdìng从cóng上shàng世纪shìjì五十wǔshí年代niándài开始kāishǐ，用yòng了le七十多qīshíduō年nián。

二零二四年èrlíng’èrsìnián九月jiǔyuè，国家guójiā决定juédìng：从cóng二零二五年èrlíng’èrwǔnián一yī月yuè一号yīhào开始kāishǐ，退休tuìxiū年龄niánlíng要yào慢慢mànmàn提高tígāo。男人nánrén最后zuìhòu会huì到dào六十三liùshísān岁suì，女人nǚrén会huì到dào五十五wǔshíwǔ岁suì或者huòzhě五十八wǔshíbā岁suì。

为什么wèishénme要yào改gǎi？最zuì主要zhǔyào的de原因yuányīn是shì中国zhōngguó的de老人lǎorén越来越yuèláiyuè多duō。现在xiànzài，六十liùshí岁suì以上yǐshàng的de人rén已经yǐjīng超过chāoguò了le总人口zǒngrénkǒu的de五分之一wǔfēn-zhīyī。同时tóngshí，年轻人niánqīngrén越来越yuèláiyuè少shǎo，大家dàjiā也yě比bǐ以前yǐqián活huó得de更gèng长cháng。领lǐng养老金yánglǎojīn的de人rén多duō了le，交钱jiāoqián的de人rén少了le，压力yālì就jiù大dà了le。

会不会huìbúhuì一下子yíxiàzi多duō工作gōngzuò三sān年nián？不会búhuì。新xīn规定guīdìng改gǎi得de很hěn慢màn：每měi过guò几jǐ个gè月yuè，退休tuìxiū年龄niánlíng才cái推迟tuīchí一个yígè月yuè，整zhěng个gè过程guòchéng要yào十五shíwǔ年nián。所以suóyǐ，一九七六年yījiǔqīliùnián九月jiǔyuè以后yǐhòu出生chūshēng的de男人nánrén，才cái会huì真的zhēnde晚wǎn整整zhéngzhěng三sān年nián退休tuìxiū。

人们rénmen的de看法kànfǎ不太bútài一样yíyàng。有的yǒude人rén觉得juéde，自己zìjǐ身体shēntǐ还hái很hěn好hǎo，多duō工作gōngzuò几jǐ年nián没méi问题wèntí。也yě有的yǒude人rén担心dānxīn，年纪niánjì大dà了le更gèng难nán找zhǎo工作gōngzuò，或者huòzhě没有méiyǒu时间shíjiān帮bāng孩子háizi带dài孙子sūnzi了le。

在zài你nǐ的de国家guójiā，人们rénmen一般yìbān多少duōshao岁suì退休tuìxiū？你nǐ希望xīwàng自己zìjǐ多少duōshao岁suì退休tuìxiū？

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
男人	nánrén	man; men
女人	nǚrén	woman
或者	huòzhě	or
用	yòng	to use; use; usefulness
国家	guójiā	country; nation; state
决定	juédìng	to decide; decision
提高	tígāo	to raise; to increase; to improve
最后	zuìhòu	finally; in the end; last; final
主要	zhǔyào	main; major; mainly; mostly
老人	lǎorén	old person; the elderly
以上	yǐshàng	the above; the foregoing
以前	yǐqián	before; previously; formerly

English (for the teacher)

In China, for a long time, men retired at sixty and women at fifty or fifty-five. The rule began in the 1950s and lasted more than seventy years.

In September 2024, the state decided that from 1 January 2025 the retirement age would slowly rise. Men will eventually reach sixty-three, and women fifty-five or fifty-eight.

Why change it? The main reason is that China has more and more old people. People over sixty are now more than a fifth of the whole population. At the same time there are fewer and fewer young people, and everyone lives longer than before. More people drawing pensions and fewer people paying in means more pressure.

Will people suddenly have to work three more years? No. The rule changes very slowly: only every few months is the retirement age pushed back by one month, and the whole process takes fifteen years. So only men born in or after September 1976 will really retire a full three years later.

People see it differently. Some feel they are still healthy and a few more years of work is no problem. Others worry that it is harder to find work when you are older, or that they won’t have time to help look after their grandchildren.

In your country, at what age do people usually retire? At what age would you like to retire?