China has eased the age limit for civil servant recruitment to align with the phased increase in the statutory retirement age and to expand the pool of eligible applicants.

According to an announcement released today, candidates for the national civil service exam must be between 18 and 38 years old, while those graduating with a master’s or doctoral degree next year can be up to 43. By comparison, the limits in last year’s notice were 35 and 40, respectively.

Under the ongoing phased adjustment of the statutory retirement age, set to roll out over approximately 15 years, the oldest candidates for the 2026 exam will also see their retirement age extended by three years. A man who would have retired at 60 under the old rules will now retire at 63, while women who would have retired at 50 or 55, depending on their role, will now retire at 53 or 58.