Consumption demand plays an increasingly important role in China's economic growth, while it is also affected by population age structure. Using two waves of China Urban Labor Survey data, this study examines the consumption expenditure pattern of Chinese urban households and its determinants from the perspective of life cycle, focusing particularly on households with older adults. Results show that age affects both the quantity and structure of household consumption expenditure. After controlling for other factors, an older age of household head is associated with lower household consumption expenditure per capita and a lower share of consumption expenditure related to jobs, while it is related to a higher share of medical care consumption expenditure. Compared with young households, consumption expenditure per capita for households with older adults as the household heads is 8.8 and 22.5 percent lower in 2010 and 2016, respectively. Meanwhile, the share of consumption expenditure related to jobs is 12.6 and 13.2 percentage points lower, and the share of medical care consumption expenditure is 7.4 and 10.0 percentage points higher in 2010 and 2016.

Ｗｉｔｈ ｔｈｅ ｃｏｎｔｉｎｕｏｕｓ ｅｘｔｅｎｓｉｏｎ ｏｆ ｌｉｆｅ ｅｘｐｅｃｔａｎｃｙ ，ｔｈｅ ｎｅｇａｔｉｖｅ ｉｍｐａｃｔ ｏｆ ｐｏｐｕｌａｔｉｏｎ ａｇｅｉｎｇ ｍａｙ ｂｅ ｅｘａｇｇｅｒａｔｅｄ ｂｙ ｕｓｉｎｇ ａ ｓｔａｔｉｃ ａｇｅ ｐｅｒｓｐｅｃｔｉｖｅ．Ｉｎ ｔｈｉｓ ｐａｐｅｒ，ｗｅ ｔｒｙ ｔｏ ｆｏｒｅｃａｓｔ ｔｈｅ ｐｏｐｕｌａｔｉｏｎ ａｇｅｉｎｇ ｔｒｅｎｄ ｏｆ Ｃｈｉｎａ ｕｎｄｅｒ ｄｉｆｆｅｒｅｎｔ ａｇｅ ｃｒｉｔｅｒｉａ ｉｎ ２０１０－２０５０ ａｎｄ ａｎａｌｙｚｅ ｔｈｅｉｒ ｅｆｆｅｃｔｓ ｏｎ ｔｏｔａｌ ｈｅａｌｔｈ ｅｘｐｅｎｄｉｔｕｒｅ．Ｔｈｅ ｒｅｓｕｌｔｓ ｓｈｏｗ ｔｈａｔ ａｇｅｉｎｇ ｒａｔｅ ｍｅａｓｕｒｅｄ ｗｉｔｈ ｐｒｏｓｐｅｃｔｉｖｅ ａｇｅ ｗｏｕｌｄ ｂｅ ｍｕｃｈ ｌｏｗｅｒ ｔｈａｎ ｔｈａｔ ｍｅａｓｕｒｅｄ ｗｉｔｈ ｃｈｒｏｎｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌ ａｇｅ ａｎｄ ｔｈｅ ｈｅａｌｔｈ ｅｘｐｅｎｄｉｔｕｒｅ ｆｏｒ ｔｈｅ ｅｌｄｅｒｌｙ ｗｏｕｌｄ ｂｅ ｃｏｎｓｉｄｅｒａｂｌｙ ｒｅｄｕｃｅｄ．Ｔｈｅ ｉｍｐｌｉｃａｔｉｏｎｓ ａｒｅ ｔｈａｔ ｔｈｅ ｒａｔｉｏ ｏｆ ｌａｂｏｒ ｆｏｒｃｅ ｔｏ ｔｈｅ ｅｌｄｅｒｌｙ ｐｏｐｕｌａｔｉｏｎ ｗｏｕｌｄ ｃｈａｎｇｅ，ｗｈｉｃｈ ｗｏｕｌｄ ｒｅｄｕｃｅ ｈｅａｌｔｈ ｅｘｐｅｎｄｉｔｕｒｅ．Ｈｏｗｅｖｅｒ，ｉｎ ａｃｈｉｅｖｉｎｇ ｔｈａｔ，ｉｔ ｉｓ ｎｅｃｅｓｓａｒｙ ｔｏ ｐｒｏｍｏｔｅ ｔｈｅ ｒｅｌｅｖａｎｔ ｓｏｃｉａｌ ｐｏｌｉｃｉｅｓ ｓｕｃｈ ａｓ ｅｎｃｏｕｒａｇｉｎｇ ｔｈｅ ｐｏｓｔｐｏｎｅｍｅｎｔ ｏｆ ｒｅｔｉｒｅｍｅｎｔ ａｇｅ，ｃｈａｎｇｉｎｇ ｔｈｅ ｃｏｎｃｅｐｔ ｏｆ ｈｅａｌｔｈ ｓｅｒｖｉｃｅ，ａｎｄ ｒｅｆｏｒｍｉｎｇ ｔｈｅ ｈｅａｌｔｈ ｓｅｒｖｉｃｅ ｓｙｓｔｅｍ．