老年消费新认识及其公共政策思考

A New Understanding of the Consumption of China's Elderly Population and the Thinking of Public Policy

我国老年人口群体的消费模式正在发生显著的变化:老年已成为生命周期中消费水平较高的人生阶段,当前我国老年人均消费已超越全体居民人均消费;老年消费与全体居民消费在构成上各有侧重,食品与医疗消费是老年消费的重头;老年消费具备年龄和城乡等人群分化特征,也存在"新老人"的消费模式逐步代替"老老人"的代际更替效应;老年消费的未来走势受年龄效应与代际效应的共同影响,老年消费中的公共财政开支将随老龄化深入和公共福利制度的完善逐步提高。老年消费集多元性、变化性和公共性于一体,可成为经济增长和社会进步的新动力,其对社会运转产生的压力可以通过公共政策的调整来解决。如,明确公共政策推进多支柱老年经济保障,依托公共政策调整实现老年人口由"消耗者"向"生产者"的转变,以及调整公共政策的服务内容与服务方式等。需要改变传统观念对老年消费问题的固有认识,通过供给侧的改革推进老年产业的发展。

The consumption pattern of the elderly population in China has been undergoing salient change. The consumption level,measured by per capita consumption in monetary terms,of the elderly population is higher compared to consumptions of other age groups,and the whole resident population as well. The consumption structure of the elderly population is different from the whole population as they consume mainly in food and health-related commodities and services. There are also marked variations in old-age consumption pattern between urban and rural elders as well as among different regions. The generational difference,refers to the elderly born in different times,is also significant. The ageing effect and the generational effect will both decide the future trend of old-age consumption pattern. The consumption of the elderly population will be paid more by the public finance as the aging process deepening and the development of public welfare. Therefore,the old stereotyped understanding about consumption of the elderly population should be re-examined. The consumption of the elderly could be a new engine of economic growth and social progress. Some of the pressures derived from the population aging can be solved by adjustments of public policies. For example,public policy could help to promote a multi-pillar economic support system of the elderly population. We could change the elderly population from pure ＂consumers＂to ＂producers＂. Moreover,reforms from the providers＇ side in China will also lead to the flourish of the industrial sectors related to consumption goods and services.