ABSTRACT This renewal proposal is to fund waves 5 (2021) and 6 (2024) of the China Health and Retirement Study (CHARLS). The overarching goal is to further develop a first rate longitudinal, public use, aging survey for China that is comparable with HRS aging surveys from other parts of the world. The CHARLS national baseline survey was conducted in 2011-12. It is a nationally representative survey that includes one person per household aged 45 years of age or older and their spouse (totaling 17,708 individuals) living in 10,257 households in 450 villages/urban communities in 150 counties/districts in 28 of China’s 30 provinces excluding Tibet. Waves 2, 3 and 4 were fielded in 2013, 2015 and 2018 respectively. Some 86.5% of wave 1 respondents were re-contacted in wave 4. A special wave to collect life history data was fielded in 2014, using resources from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and other sources. In wave 4 we added a Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP), harmonized to similar efforts in the US, Mexico, England, South Africa and India; to measure dimensions of Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias (ADRD) for respondents 60 and over. We will continue CHARLS HCAP for all respondents 60 and over in wave 6 and for a subset of respondents in wave 5. Waves 5 and 6 for CHARLS would provide data over a 13 year period for those beginning in wave 1.This will allow not only examining longer-run consequences of events that occurred earlier in life, but also to follow the time-path of these outcomes. This will also enable research on causal links between health behaviors, environment or policy changes and health outcomes. Each wave of the CHARLS data has always been released publicly, for free, within one and one half years of the end of data collection. This practice will continue into the future.

Project Narrative The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) has already begun to enrich the international landscape of aging studies. CHARLS follows closely the existing Health and Retirement Studies around the world in order to provide the capability for scholars to engage in comparative studies as well as studies of the special conditions in China. The first four national waves of CHARLS were fielded in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2018 and waves 5 and 6 are planned for 2021 and 2024; including updates of the CHARLS Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) of Alzheimers Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD).