China’s $7.4 billion ‘loneliness industry’: Why elderly people are hiring ‘temporary children’

China’s loneliness industry is creating a market for paid companionship, with elderly people hiring service providers to deliver meals, help with household chores and offer emotional support. Among the services emerging in this market are providers who visit older people regularly and help them manage everyday life, taking on roles that can resemble those of family members. China’s ‘temporary children’ help elderly people live independentlyYang, a 91-year-old woman living on the outskirts of Beijing, told the BBC that loneliness became particularly difficult after her husband died. Her circumstances improved after Yingwei and his team began visiting her twice a day with hot meals. “We see ourselves as community children,” Yingwei told the BBC. According to the BBC, Yingwei’s services cost less than half the price of employing a caregiver. He started the business after his father-in-law, who had developed Alzheimer’s disease, moved into a nursing home. Paid companionship extends beyond elderly careChina’s loneliness industry is not limited to older people living alone. Twenty-three-year-old Liu Yanyan works as a medical escort in Beijing. “If there is a companion you have paid for, the relationship is not exactly equal. It is a service relationship, so you don't have to deal with the unpredictability of a standard relationship. The thing about friendship is that it can be unpredictable. You don't know when someone might disappoint you. ”The emergence of these businesses illustrates how social isolation is creating demand for services built around human connection. About the AuthorAnjali ThakurAnjali Thakur is a Senior Assistant Editor with Mint, reporting on trending news, entertainment and health, with a focus on stories driving digital conversations. Her work involves spotting early signals across news cycles and social media, sharpening stories for SEO and Google Discover, and mentoring young editors in digital-first newsroom practices. She is known for turning fast-moving developments—whether news-driven or culture-led—into clear, tightly edited journalism without compromising editorial rigour. com, where she led the Trending section and covered viral news, breaking developments and human-interest stories. com (Zee Media) and as Senior Correspondent with Exchange4media and Hindustan Times’ HT City, reporting on media, advertising, entertainment, health, lifestyle and popular culture. Anjali holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miranda House, and is currently pursuing an MBA, strengthening her understanding of business strategy and digital media economics. Her writing balances newsroom discipline with a clear instinct for what resonates with readers.