China's families are now supporting more old people than kids
The latest figures mark a major milestone as Beijing grapples with an ageing population.
Families in China are for the first time supporting more elderly people than children, the country's government has said.
Official data released in the last week, external show the ratio of China's dependent elderly people compared to the working age population rose to 23% last year, overtaking the figure for children, which stood at 22%.
The numbers are closely watched for signs of how China's shrinking workforce will impact both the world's second largest economy and global growth as a whole.
It may also pose a challenge to the country's ambitions, as it could limit its economic growth as well as people's spending power, said National University of Singapore sociology lecturer Mu Zheng.