China’s Schools Are Turning Empty and Becoming Old-Age Homes as Birth Rates Fall

China is suffering from old age. Some abandoned schools and kindergartens have been transformed into elderly care homes, community care centres and dining facilities in China. The changes are due to a fall in the birth rate and growing rates of aging in the country. For governments, empty schools present a chance to repurpose redundant buildings in ways that can serve the needs of local older people.

Why are Schools in China Vacant?

China had 7.92 million births in 2025, down 17% year-on-year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, which also reported that China’s population dropped for the fourth consecutive year, while its birth rate hit a record low of 5.63 births per 1,000 people.

Meanwhile, the education ministry reported a fall of around 10% in the number of children starting primary school and nursery in 2025, compared with the previous year. The total number of schools has fallen by more than 6% to 440,700.

With the reduced birth rate, some of China’s remote schools have been merged and left completely empty. Meanwhile, in rural areas, adults have been moving to big cities for work, leaving behind empty villages.

China to Turn 65 Empty Schools into Nursing Homes for the Elderly

In Xiji county, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, local authorities plan to renovate 65 abandoned school buildings into elderly care facilities over the next five years. Nineteen townships in the county have about 191 idle school buildings, and more will be closed as part of a school merger policy.

By renovating these abandoned buildings, Xiji county can meet the growing demand for elderly care facilities as the county’s population ages without having to construct new facilities from scratch.

Depending on the needs of the local community, these former schools can be renovated into nursing homes, community centres or places providing food and social opportunities for older people.

For many older people who live in the countryside, such facilities would give them more options regarding where they want to live, but turning an empty school into a place for elderly care can involve several challenges, such as the need for certain facilities within the building and the recruitment of professional carers. In addition, ongoing funding will be required to ensure that the facilities can continue to operate and provide the carers and residents with the support they need.

Not All Empty Schools in China are Set to be Renovated into Nursing Homes

While governments and organisations are looking at ways to repurpose empty school buildings, other groups are looking at ways to recycle them.

In Pingwu county, Sichuan province, an abandoned primary school that has been closed since 2020 is set to be transformed into a boutique inn, which is due to open its doors to guests in June. The project, which cost 10 million yuan to renovate, is expected to host around 10,000 visitors a year, providing employment and an opportunity for people in the local area to make money from farming.

This is just one example of how the empty structures can be used to bring in tourism to the local area, boost the local economy and provide much-needed jobs in the region. While some abandoned schools may be suitable for being turned into elderly care facilities, others may be better suited to a different use.

How Are Empty Schools in China Impacting the Nation’s Older Population?

The transformation of abandoned school buildings into elderly care facilities shows the impact that reduced birth rates and increased rates of ageing can have on local areas. The drop in birth rates means that fewer families are looking for schooling for their children, so the need for school buildings is reduced. At the same time, as the nation’s older population grows, there is an increased need for health and care services. By renovating some of these empty school buildings, local authorities can meet this need, particularly in the countryside where resources are more limited.

Research into the conversion of empty schools into elderly care facilities in China has highlighted several challenges that authorities may face when attempting such projects, such as the costs of renovation and how suitable the buildings are for purposes such as resident evacuation.

The success of such projects will depend on whether these challenges can be addressed, and whether the facilities can meet the needs of both the older people who will reside there and the local communities in which they are based.

China’s empty schools represent a challenge for local authorities, as the nation’s aging population means that there is likely to be an increased need for elderly care facilities. These abandoned buildings, which were originally intended to educate the nation’s younger population, must instead be adapted to create facilities that will benefit the country’s older residents.