A growing service sector in China is offering paid companionship to older people and others facing isolation, from home visits to hospital escorting and practical help.
01Summary
- 01Yang, 91, near Beijing said she was so lonely after her husband died that she once considered voluntary euthanasia.
- 02Wang Yingwei’s delivery team charges less than half the cost of a caregiver and visits older clients twice a day with meals and practical help.
- 03Wang’s small business employs four people and securities company Sinolink valued China’s loneliness sector at about $7.4bn in 2025.
- 04Twenty-three-year-old Liu Yanyan works as a medical escort to help clients navigate large city hospitals and avoid going alone.
- 05Another client, 75-year-old Zheng Ruizhi, said Wang’s visits made her feel calm and supported while her son lives two hours away.
02Why it matters
The story shows how rapid social change, migration and ageing are leaving many people isolated, and how new private services are stepping in to fill gaps in care and companionship. It also points to a fast-growing market that could shape how families and older people get support.
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