By Vision Times TV
In recent years, an unsettling scene has become increasingly common in China’s major cities: More and more people seen sleeping overnight in parks, under bridges, beneath overpasses, and at subway entrances. Even more alarmingly, official and semi-official statistics suggest that China’s homeless population is rapidly skewing younger. Those aged 33 and under now account for 61 percent of the homeless, while people over 60 make up just 25 percent.
According to available data, as of the end of May 2025, China had approximately 24.1 million homeless people, a figure 5.3 times higher than in 2020. The surge has coincided with worsening employment prospects, rising urban living costs, and mounting pressure on young and middle-aged workers.
Sleeping in parks and bridges
In cities across China, people delivering food, recently laid-off workers, and even fresh college graduates unable to find jobs are increasingly spending nights outdoors. Netizens in Zhejiang reported seeing people curled up overnight in park pavilions. Bridge underpasses, greenbelts, shopping mall back entrances, and vacant corners of public spaces have become makeshift shelters.
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One man living under a bridge said: “I’m living under this bridge. In a few more days, it will be almost two months. At least here I have a small, warm nest that shelters me from wind and rain. I live my own little life here, undisturbed. The underpass is actually quite good; it blocks the wind and rain.”
Another video filmed in Guangzhou showed delivery workers sleeping beneath overpasses: “Under the bridges in Guangzhou, the main people you see are delivery drivers. Some are migrant workers, and some are homeless. Seeing this makes my heart feel heavy. Under the weight of life, this corner has become their only refuge. It’s really heartbreaking. Many bridges in Guangzhou have people living under them.”
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A clip from Shanghai captured similar scenes: “Let me show you how hard life is in Shanghai. To save on rent, people would rather live under a bridge. At night they sleep here, and during the day they can even cook here. Life is just too exhausting.”
In Guangzhou, some overpasses have effectively become overnight dormitories for delivery drivers. For them, monthly rents of more than 1,000 yuan are simply unaffordable, so they sleep on cardboard beneath bridges and send whatever money they save back home.
Meanwhile, in Shanghai, 24-hour McDonald’s locations have quietly become temporary shelters. Employees often do not drive people away, tacitly allowing them to stay overnight. Shanghai is widely known as one of China’s most commercially successful cities.
Beijing: Riddled with urban displacement
In the capital, Beijing, major sleeping spots include railway stations, station plazas, underground passages, and overpasses. Unlike Guangzhou or Shenzhen, Beijing’s homeless population is more complex: Unemployed white-collar workers, migrant laborers, job seekers, petitioners from other provinces, and bankrupt small business owners.
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One unemployed job seeker said: “It’s already the end of the year. How many people are lying in rented rooms like me without a job? Sleeping until noon every day, losing track of time. Every day I think about finding a job. When I find one, I don’t want to go. Then I keep looking again, day after day.
Every day I rotate between three apps: job listings, food delivery, and Douyin. Sometimes I get tired of my phone and just stare blankly, my mind empty and confused. What people fear most isn’t not having a job—it’s not knowing what they want to do or what they can still do. The self-doubt keeps growing. I don’t want to socialize or go out. I sleep when I’m tired, order takeout when I’m hungry, lie there scrolling my phone. I look young, but I don’t feel that young anymore.”
In financial freefall
A laid-off worker in Shenzhen shared his story: “I was laid off. Today is the second day after being laid off. There probably isn’t anyone in Shenzhen more miserable than me. I’m 40 years old, with two children in high school who need money. I have elderly parents to support. I’m unemployed in middle age, with no specialized skills.
I knew the overall environment in Shenzhen was bad this year, but when it happened to me, it still felt sudden. Orders kept dropping; I didn’t expect it to come this fast. The day before yesterday I went to work happily, and in the afternoon I was called in for a talk. The company restructured, and our entire department was basically laid off. Business was bad this year, but layoffs before the New Year still felt shocking. 15 years of work gone in minutes.”
Another blogger described the pressure piling up as year-end expenses approached. Her husband had just started a new job and was not yet stable; she herself had suddenly lost her job. Their 4,000-yuan monthly rent, plus school fees and other fixed expenses, left her nearly unable to breathe. In a city as large as Shenzhen, she said, she suddenly did not know where she was supposed to go.
A recorded exchange captured the moment of dismissal:
“I just got off work. I was laid off. This time I really was laid off.”
“What happened?”
“Laid off. What else could it be?”
“Why did they suddenly lay you off?”
“The company’s projects weren’t making money. I had no choice.”
“Let’s go get something good to eat.”
“Let’s go home first, okay?”
“I just got back from vacation. I didn’t expect it to happen so fast. This afternoon the boss messaged me to go to the office, and it turned into this conversation.”
“That’s so sudden.”
Another unemployed worker reflected: “I started working right after graduation and kept spinning like a top, never really stopping. Now that I’ve been laid off, I just want to find my next job as soon as possible. Even opening a dumpling shop or setting up a street stall would be fine.”
Collapsing small businesses
One young job seeker said after multiple failed interviews: “I interviewed for two jobs again today, and both failed. Why is it so hard? I feel like I’m trapped in an anxiety I can’t escape. Original audio: I can’t sleep through the night anymore. The pressure on adults is just too much. I’m really exhausted; really exhausted.”
A netizen commented: “The overall environment is bad this year. It’s really hard to find work. Many HR departments are just hitting KPIs, not actually hiring. I’m 39, got laid off, and I haven’t found a job for months. The New Year is coming, and I’m terrified of the holidays. Relatives and friends will ask: ‘Where are you working now? How much do you make a month?’ I don’t even know how to answer.”
A former restaurant owner said: “My barbecue shop closed. I’m from Yunnan, born in the ’90s, 35 years old. I ran the shop for just over three months, but it didn’t make money, so I had to say goodbye. Many people told me to stop struggling and leave the restaurant business. But I quit my job and stayed home raising children for six years. I’ve been out of society for six years. A 35-year-old middle-aged woman can’t even get into a factory to tighten screws — let alone find a suitable job. It’s almost impossible.”
No work opportunities
Another vendor described the collapse of consumer demand: “Who would have thought that the peak season would be even worse than the off-season? This year, plus the extreme heat, there’s no one anywhere. Everyone thought December, the peak season, would be great for selling down jackets and winter products. But nothing sells. Just nothing. Where did the people go?
For those of us in wholesale markets, it’s dead quiet. No customers on the phone. We rely on random walk-ins, and many shop owners struggle just to make a single sale.”
A street vendor finally broke down: “Brothers, I really can’t take it anymore. I came out at 6:30 to set up my stall, and now it’s 9:30 — I’ve been standing for three hours and haven’t sold a single one. I feel like I’m just not cut out for business. Other than going into a factory, I can’t think of any way out. Every path I carry alone; no guidance, no family support. No matter what I do, I can’t make money. With rent about to be due and bank debt messages coming in, how am I supposed to live? Why is there no place for me in this world?”
The rapid growth of China’s homeless population, especially among young people, has become a stark reflection of a job market that no longer absorbs new graduates, laid-off workers, or struggling small business owners. Rising housing costs, shrinking demand, and prolonged economic uncertainty have pushed millions to the edge.
For many, sleeping under bridges and in parks is no longer a temporary setback, but the last remaining option.
