China’s Record‑Low Pension Adjustment Reveals Shrinking Safety Net

Beijing’s 2 percent pension bump—the smallest in 20 years—highlights a cash‑starved system as provinces dip into retirement funds to stay afloat.

A group of elderly Chinese people in Beijing, on April 7, 2007. AFP via Getty Images

News Analysis

China recently told its retirees they will get only a 2 percent boost in 2025—the smallest adjustment since Beijing began annual pension hikes two decades ago.