Asia's elderly are being neglected

亚洲的老年人正被忽视

Editor's Picks from The Economist

2026-07-02

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A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. Asia's population is ageing quickly, and rates of elder abuse and abandonment are rising. Rather than build out welfare systems, the region's governments are forcing children to care for their parents. Topics covered: Demographic shift Elder careSocial policy Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.
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  • Hi, I'm Sarah Wu, co-host of Drum Tower, our podcast about China.

  • Welcome to Editor's Picks.

  • We've handpicked an article for you from the latest edition of The Economist.

  • We hope you enjoy listening.

  • In March, lawmakers in Telangana, a state in southern India, passed a bill mandating

  • that up to 15% of an adult offspring's salary can be redirected

  • into their parents' bank accounts if they are found to be neglecting them.

  • According to Revant Reddy, Telangana's chief minister, children

  • who fail to care for their parents are not qualified to live in society.

  • Across Asia, the instinct to punish unfilial children,

  • pioneered in 1995 by Singapore with its Maintenance of Parents Act, is spreading.

  • Malaysia is pursuing filial obligation on two tracks,

  • a secular senior citizens bill, protecting elders from abuse or abandonment,

  • and Sharia court amendments, allowing Islamic courts to hear parental maintenance claims.

  • MPs in the Philippines have filed a Parents' Welfare

  • Act for the third time since 2016 to punish wrongdoers with up to 10 years in prison.

  • These are the latest additions to a lengthening list.

  • China has since 2013 required adult offspring to visit aging parents, often on pain of fines or jail.

  • In Shanghai, those who defy court orders to provide for their parents are put on a credit blacklist.

  • Many countries, including South Korea, India and Japan,