The survey carried out in 5 rural counties of China, shows nearly 60% of the sampled aged parents with one-child in rural areas are living in empty nest families, which are composed by only aged parents and even more grandparents or grandchildren together, meanwhile the only adultchild is living apart from. The empty nest family makes the elderly parents face serious challenges of taking care themselves. We found the divorced elderly are more likely to be live alone, and the aged with only daughter are more likely to live alone rather than the elderly with only son. The results imply that these aged are the most vulnerable in terms of family care.
