BEIJING -- A total of 190 million Chinese people are covered by long-term care insurance by the end of 2024, according to the National Healthcare Security Administration on Thursday.

The long-term care insurance fund has raised over 100 billion yuan (around $14 billion) and paid out more than 85 billion yuan to date, Li Tao, deputy head of the administration, said at a State Council Information Office press conference outlining achievements during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).

During this period, the insurance program has supported over 2 million people unable to care for themselves, reducing the financial burden of care services by more than 50 billion yuan, Li said.

China now has over 8,800 designated institutions providing long-term care insurance services, with a workforce of 300,000 caregivers, both figures marking a more than 50 percent increase since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, he added.