Facing an Uncertain Future: China’s Youth Are Writing Their Final Wishes

The number of Chinese youth making wills is surging, signaling a profound cultural shift driven by workplace burnout and systemic uncertainty.

Mary Man

Published: 8/24/2026, 11:44:15 AM EDT

Facing an Uncertain Future: China’s Youth Are Writing Their Final Wishes — Students wait in line as they enter to take the annual National College Entrance Examination, at the Beijing Chenjinglun High School in Beijing, China, on June 7, 2026. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

Influenced by traditional Chinese culture and psychological taboos, the older generation in China remains reluctant to make wills. Among younger people, however, the practice is surging.

Data from the 2025 Annual White Paper of the China Will Registration Center reveals that the number of people under 30 making wills increased by 42.3 percent compared to 2024.

The deputy director of the Hangzhou Internet Notary Office noted that when he began working in estate notarization in 2006, most clients were in their 70s or 80s; today, it has become very common for 18-year-olds to come in for consultations and filings.

The contents of young people's wills are no longer limited to traditional assets like real estate and bank savings. Gaming accounts, social media profiles, pet care arrangements, organ donation wishes, and personal funeral instructions are all being incorporated into their estate planning.

According to traditional Chinese custom, "death" is a forbidden topic. Drafting a will is often equated with "expecting one's imminent death" or "inviting bad luck," leading many people—especially elders—to strongly avoid any connection to it.

In recent years, however, amidst intense workplace pressure, sudden deaths among young and middle-aged individuals have surged, prompting more and more young people to write wills in advance. This is widely seen as a reflection of the systemic anxiety triggered by economic decline and societal disorder.

As reported by Chinese media, in April 2026, Wang, a 30-year-old in Shenzhen who faced severe work stress alongside long-term fatigue and smoking, endured chest pain for three days before suffering a sudden cardiac arrest; he was narrowly saved after emergency resuscitation.

Earlier, on March 24, Zhang Xuefeng, a renowned college application adviser with tens of millions of followers, passed away from sudden cardiac death at the age of 41 after emergency treatment failed. As early as 2023, he had been hospitalized due to severe chest tightness and palpitations caused by overwork.

Zhang's death shocked Chinese social media, sparking widespread panic and debate over how "under extreme internal competition and high-intensity work, even seemingly healthy individuals can suffer sudden death."

A 20-year-old university student in mainland China told the Chinese edition of NTD: "I feel that participating in the process of making a will is also a form of reflection on my own life."

A high school student said: "I am only 18 this year, but I think this is something that ought to be done—it is a proper arrangement for life."

Xiao Jiang, a 26-year-old internet sector employee, shared that the sudden death of a friend led him to draft a will, ensuring that if an unexpected tragedy occurred, his family would not be thrown into chaos over property and funeral arrangements.

According to statistics from the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, approximately 544,000 people die from sudden cardiac death each year in China, equivalent to around 1,500 deaths daily. Furthermore, the proportion of young and middle-aged individuals among these sudden death victims is rising year by year.

Lai Jianping, a former Beijing lawyer and independent scholar, believes that Chinese youth today are overwhelmed by a sense of uncertainty about the future.

"Everyone feels that Chinese society is currently in a state of disorder and normlessness. Economy, employment, marriage, family, romance—all these areas appear chaotic, disordered, and fraught with risks and uncertainties."

He said that many young people, unable to alter the social environment they face, can only arrange their affairs in advance to minimize potential conflicts and regrets should an unexpected event occur.