China's loneliness economy grows as isolated residents hire companions
China's loneliness economy is expanding as city residents hire companions for chats, errands, care and medical visits.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
China's so-called loneliness economy is growing, with residents in crowded cities paying for companionship and practical help. The market has already been valued at $7.4 billion and is expected to expand further.
The country has 18 cities with more than 10 million residents. Yet many people in these mega centres feel lost and isolated. Loneliness is made worse by the fact that people often live far from their communities as they chase jobs, and those jobs are becoming harder to find.
Companion companies are filling the gap. Their staff may deliver medicine, fix something, do a bit of cleaning or simply have a chat. One team in Beijing visits a 91-year-old client who would find living alone very difficult without support. The client, Yang, said she had felt depressed and hopeless, had talked to the TV when she wanted a conversation and had even asked her son about euthanasia. With daily support, she now says she is happy again. The company describes its workers as being like community children. They take discount meals to elderly local people, but the service goes beyond that.
Other clients are younger. Liu Yanyan, who works with clients who often need help at doctor visits, said people have no one to talk to after work. If they go to hospital, they go alone and can feel scared or anxious, so they turn to medical escorts for company. The broad cause, according to the reporting, is that human existence has become busy and involves less and less interaction.
The loneliness industry is expected to keep growing. Ying Wei, who runs one companion service, is preparing to expand. He has many clients, including Zhang Ruizhe, who said: 'Yesterday when he came, I said, oh, my boy is here to see me again. Sometimes a stranger can be the best listener.'
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| China has 18 cities with more than 10 million residents. | |
| China's loneliness economy is valued at 7.4 billion US dollars and is expected to grow. | |
| Family members living apart as people move for work has driven demand for support services in China. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The BBC ran a human-interest feature from Beijing. It focused on urban loneliness, the growth of paid companion services and the market's $7.4 billion valuation. It gave little space to politics or policy, instead using personal stories to show how isolation affects elderly and younger city residents.
- “Loneliness is my biggest difficulty. When I want a conversation, I talk to the TV.”
- “Sometimes a stranger can be the best listener.”
- “It's already been valued at $7.4 billion, and this is only expected to increase.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.