Episode Details

China’s quality of life has soared—but for many, the quality of death has not kept pace. In this episode, we examine the quiet crisis in China’s end-of-life and palliative care system, where hospitals favor profitable treatments over comfort, hospice beds remain scarce, and cultural taboos often keep families from even acknowledging a loved one’s diagnosis. Despite government pilot programs and a rapid expansion of hospice units in recent years, access is uneven, support for migrant families is limited, and the financial incentives simply don’t align with dignified dying. We ask: in a nation racing forward, why does a peaceful death remain a privilege? And what will it take to make comfort, not cure, a realistic option for the many?

https://www.economist.com/china/2025/06/12/would-you-want-to-know-if-you-were-terminally-ill