The Relationship Between the Quantity of Children and the Quality of Life for the Elderly

Abstract

The aging population brings unprecedented attention to the care for the elderly in rural and urban China. Based on the data from the 2012 North China Electric Power University Social Survey Center, this paper adapts 4 indicators to measure the quality of life for the elderly: health status, living environment, economic situation and happiness. The results show that: (1) the quantity of children is significantly negatively related to the health status and happiness of the elderly; (2) the quantity of children is not significantly related to the living environment and the economic situation of the elderly. In order to make the elderly enjoy a higher quality of life, the government should integrate social resources, promote the reform of the social pension institutions and improve the social security system.