Suicide among the elderly has soared in recent years, especially in rural areas, prompting experts to call for improved social welfare and medical systems to aid senior citizens.

"Our society is in the midst of a transformation, turning into an aged society. The system for senior citizens is not complete, which has a significant impact on the later life of residents," Dang Junwu, deputy director of the China Research Center on Aging, said at a news conference when the country's first Blue Book of Aging was released on Wednesday.

People aged 65 or older in China are more likely to commit suicide than any other age group, and the rate has been climbing in recent years, according to the book.