Around a quarter of seniors in Macao lack sufficient savings, the Macau Federation of Trade Unions says.
According to a report in Macau Post Daily, the federation and the University of Saint Joseph conducted a joint survey into the financial circumstances of people aged 55 and over, polling some 749 residents.
The poll found that 25 percent of those surveyed did not have enough money to cover three to six months of living expenses.
[See more: Macao’s ageing population is a demographic time bomb, researchers warn]
The survey also found that 35 percent were in “moderate or severe” psychological distress with the mental health of elderly people living alone worse than others.
Meanwhile, more than 30 percent of respondents said they had not accessed the Internet in the past three months.
People aged 65 and above represent more than 13 percent of Macao’s population of 672,800, according to the latest figures. Researchers say the number of elderly who are dependent on their family members will pose social and economic challenges in the coming years.
