The average life span in China has extended from 35 years before 1949 to 67.9 years in 1981 (66.1 for males and 69.3 females).1 Due to the rapid decline in both birthrate and mortality rate of the nation, the elderly population in China grows at a much faster rate than that of most other countries. From the First Census (1953) to the Third Census (1982), the population registered a growth rate of 71.14 percent, but the elderly population aged 60 and over registered a growth rate of 84.5 percent. In 1982, people aged 60 and over made up 7.64 percent of the total Chinese population; however, people over 65 already accounted for 4.9 percent of the total. It is expected that in the period from 1994 to 1996, China will have entered the ranks of the aging societies, that is, the proportion of the population 60 years old and over will exceed 10 percent of the total population.