Population aging is occurring at a faster rate in rural regions than in urban areas, according to a report released by the World Bank last week.

In the report entitled "Elderly and Old Age Support: Challenges and Prospects", it predicted that China's rural old-age dependency ratio will reach 34.4 percent in 2030, which means every 100 rural residents will have to support 34.4 old people.

According to He Yupeng, a researcher in agricultural studies at the Development Research Center of the State Council, the main cause of this phenomenon is the migration of rural labor into cities. In some regions more than 90 percent of the rural labor force in their 20s are seeking jobs in cities.