China markets humanoid robots as companions amid demographic crisis

ISLAMABAD: As gender imbalances and aging populations reshape societies, a Chinese robotics company is marketing humanoid robots as companions for millions of unmarried men, highlighting one of the world's most severe demographic challenges.

UBTech has unveiled the U1, a humanoid robot marketed to provide conversation, dancing and interactive entertainment. The company says the robots are intended for China's estimated 120 million single adults, along with more than 320 million people aged 60 and older.

The robots were introduced Tuesday at UBTECH's 2026 Global Launch Event in Shenzhen, where the company unveiled the UWORLD U1 Series, a full-size humanoid robot it said is designed for mass production. The event also outlined the company's vision for greater integration between humans and robots.

UBTECH said orders for the UWORLD U1 Series had surpassed 13,361 as of the launch date.

Michael Tam, CEO of UWorld, framed the pitch directly: "It will never betray you, will always be loyal to you, and will love you unconditionally." The company is positioning emotional companionship as one of the first mainstream uses for humanoid robots, according to DW News.

The implications could extend far beyond China. Similar demographic pressures are emerging across East Asia, parts of Eastern Europe and increasingly in India, where gender imbalances and rapid aging are reshaping marriage markets and social stability.

Historic gender imbalance

China faces an unprecedented surplus of men. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the country has an estimated surplus of roughly 30 to 35 million men, more than the entire population of Canada.

Official statistics released in 2015 showed approximately 700 million men and 667 million women, creating what international researchers call the "missing girls" phenomenon.

The imbalance stems from decades of sex-selective birth practices. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the sex ratio at birth was 115.88 boys for every 100 girls in 2014, far above the natural ratio of 103 to 107 boys per 100 girls.

A World Bank study found that 22 million more boys than girls were born between 1980 and 2000, with about 10.4% of those men expected to remain unmarried.

The situation has worsened. World Bank research reported that the sex ratio at birth reached 120 boys for every 100 girls in 2008, while an ABC News report warned that China could have 20 million more men than women within the following decades.

Similar imbalances exist elsewhere. India faces a comparable "missing girls" crisis, with an estimated 40 million more men than women, according to UN Women. Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia also report sex ratios exceeding 110 boys for every 100 girls, patterns driven by sex-selective abortion and cultural preference for sons.

One-child policy

According to the Beijing-based Global Times, analysts attributed the imbalance to a continuing preference among some Chinese families for sons, particularly in rural areas. A 2020 study by researchers Xiaojie Wang, Wenjie Nie and Pengcheng Liu found that this preference was reinforced by historical economic structures and China's one-child policy, introduced in 1979. With families limited to one child and access to ultrasound technology and abortion, many chose to terminate pregnancies involving female fetuses.

While the phenomenon was particularly severe in China, similar patterns have emerged in countries such as India, where cultural preferences for sons combined with ultrasound technology have contributed to gender imbalances, according to the Pew Research Center.

Global consequences

The social costs are substantial. Yuan Xin, a professor at the Institute of Population and Development at Nankai University, told the Global Times that the gender imbalance creates acute social risks.

"Men may have difficulties finding partners and getting married, with relationship stability suffering as a result," Yuan said. "This could lead to social problems such as sex-related crimes, human trafficking and even child trafficking."

A 2024 study by Chinese researchers found that families with unmarried sons are more likely to purchase additional or larger homes to improve their sons' marriage prospects, contributing to higher housing prices. Housing costs in China rose by nearly 400% between 2002 and 2022, increasing from about 2,092 yuan ($308) to 10,357 yuan ($1,524) per square meter.

International organizations have also documented increased trafficking linked to bride markets. Men unable to marry domestically have increasingly sought partners from Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe, creating new migration and trafficking risks, according to an ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking report.

Aging dimension

The crisis intersects with another global demographic shift: rapid population aging. According to China's National Bureau of Statistics, people aged 60 and older account for a growing share of the country's population. Similar trends are evident in Japan, South Korea and increasingly in developed countries such as Canada.

By 2050, the World Bank projects that adults aged 65 and older will account for 22% of the global population.

This creates a dual challenge: millions of unmarried men without partners and millions of older adults without adequate family support structures.

Technology response

UBTech founder Zhou Jian described the company's approach.

"We can entirely rely on Large Language Models, specifically emotional companionship models, to enable robots to provide companionship and emotional exchange," Zhou said, according to DW News.

The initiative illustrates how demographic pressures are reshaping technology markets. As populations age, social isolation increases and marriage markets tighten, demand for artificial companionship could expand well beyond China.

Other aging societies, including Japan, South Korea and eventually Canada and parts of Europe, may face similar pressures that could drive comparable markets.