China boosts employment, social welfare for people with disabilities

BEIJING -- Over the course of 2024, more than 9.14 million people with disabilities were employed across China, up by 512,000 from the previous year, according to an official report released on Thursday.

Compared to the general population, the basic medical insurance contract and family doctor contract rates among China's disabled population are higher on average, said the report, which was issued by the China Disabled Persons' Federation.

It showed that over 8.66 million people with disabilities received basic rehabilitation services last year, and nearly half a million children with disabilities benefited from rehabilitation assistance.

By the end of 2024, China had 13,297 disability rehabilitation institutions, with a total of 373,000 active staff.

In terms of social security, over 27.48 million people with disabilities were covered by China's basic old-age insurance program in 2024, and more than 12.46 million received pensions.

By the end of last year, a total of 4,614 service facilities for people with disabilities had been built, including 2,250 comprehensive service facilities and 1,246 rehabilitation facilities.