Published : 28/04/2026
In recent years, the "companionship economy" has taken off in the Chinese Mainland, with a surge in services such as hospital chaperones, travel companions, and even professional listeners.
With just a few taps on your phone, the headache of having no one to turn to is easily solved. But why exactly has this new consumption model become so popular?
The "companionship economy" market exceeds 50 billion RMB
Put simply, the "companionship economy" is the practice of paying for someone’s company. These services generally fall into two categories: functional and emotional.
Functional companionship—such as medical escorts, driving companions, travel partners, study buddies, and personal shoppers—is designed to help you tackle tasks that are difficult to manage on your own.
On the other hand, emotional companionship, such as professional listeners, running partners, hiking companions, virtual AI avatars, and pet companionship, focuses on fulfilling one's emotional needs.
Nowadays, in the Chinese Mainland, the companionship economy in sectors like healthcare, tourism, entertainment, fitness, shopping, and education has formed a business model that integrates online and offline services.
Some organisations estimate that by 2025, the market size of China's "companionship economy" will exceed 50 billion RMB, driving innovation in the service industry and creating new momentum for economic growth.
Among them, which type of companionship service is the most financially promising?
The answer is medical chaperoning!
In 2006, medical chaperoning began to be operated by organisations. After 20 years of development, it has evolved from initially finding someone to accompany you to see a doctor, to medical chaperoning support in hospitals and nursing homes, and then to customised services on professional platforms, gradually moving towards professionalisation.
The boom in the medical escort industry is, ultimately, driven by sheer demand. According to the Research Report on the Development of Medical Escort Services (2025), 88.54% of elderly people living in the community attend medical appointments without any family members present. In care homes, this figure rises to a staggering 98.3%.
Gen Z is keen on emotional consumption
It is not only the silver-haired generation that needs someone to accompany them. Young people, especially Gen Z, are also a key demographic in the companionship economy.
They are keen to pay for emotional value, and this has consequently given rise to a large number of new professions, such as climbing companions, chat companions, and photography companions, targeting this demand.
These roles offer flexible hours and low barriers to entry, making them an attractive career path for young people and providing a decent source of income.
For instance, the "Mount Tai hiking companion" service, which went viral last year in China, involves the escort carrying bags, chatting, providing guided commentary, and taking photos, with fees ranging from 55 RMB to 75 RMB per trip.
One university student took on 28 bookings in a single month, earning nearly 20,000 RMB.
Another hot topic lately is the "Instant Responder"—someone who is effectively "on call" during set hours to provide immediate replies via WeChat, phone, or video call. These responders can earn up to 150 RMB an hour.
Some clients are willing to spend thousands of RMB a month just for the sense of security that comes from knowing "someone is always there" for them.
AI broadens the boundaries of companionship
The boundaries of the companionship economy are also being broadened by technological advancements.
Virtual companionship, such as AI partners or virtual therapists, provides 24-hour online emotional support. Meanwhile, "slow streaming" focuses on digital companionship; this includes "sleep-aid" streams and "study-with-me" sessions, designed to provide background company while you work or rest.
Industry insiders predict that by 2030, the global AI companionship market is expected to be worth hundreds of billions of USD. In the future, emotional needs can be met at any time through technology, and the services are also becoming more standardised and stable.
Compared to the traditional service industry, what is special about companionship services?
Although both have a "running errands" function, companionship services focus on providing emotional value, such as alleviating loneliness, building connections, and other emotional experiences.
Secondly, its content is highly customisable, people-oriented, and more personalised. From a more segmented perspective, there have even emerged services such as "child-minding companions," "matchmaking date companions," and "postgraduate entrance exam companions," which are "tailor-made" for specific groups of people and scenarios.
Large population of single people living alone creates potential market for companionship economy
The rise of the companionship economy is closely related to changes in social structure, shifts in consumption concepts, and technological advancements.
With an ageing population, the downsizing of families, and increased population mobility, "living alone" has become the norm.
Seeing a doctor alone, hiking alone, visiting exhibitions alone, facing low moods alone... The "awkwardness of being alone" is inevitable. Feelings of loneliness and anxiety are widespread, especially in large cities.
More and more people are willing to pay, for the sake of "being accompanied". This both solves life's inconveniences and alleviates loneliness.
According to statistics, the single population in China is about 240 million, and this also creates a huge potential market for the companionship economy.
Moreover, the internet and artificial intelligence are developing rapidly, and the reach of companionship services is extensive. People can easily find suitable companions on online platforms.
This platform model greatly reduces intermediary costs, making the service more convenient and accessible to more people.
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Government and industry regulations help medical escort services move towards professionalisation
As a new economic form, the companionship economy involves numerous industries. Medical escort services, which started earlier, are taking the lead in becoming professionalised with the support of government bodies, industry associations, etc.
In March 2025, Chengdu issued the country's first batch of "Specialised Vocational Qualification Certificates for Medical Escort Services"; in May of the same year, the China Association of Social Welfare and Senior Service, in collaboration with 22 organisations, released the "Code of Practice for Elderly Medical Escort Services", which stipulates service procedures, safety rules, complaint mechanisms, etc.
This January, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the National Development and Reform Commission, and others jointly issued a document proposing to "support the cultivation of professional medical escort and assistance agencies, and to standardise the provision of services such as accompanying the elderly for medical treatment".
Industry insiders believe that 2026 may become a crucial year for the medical escort industry to move towards standardisation, specialisation, and even professionalisation.
The dangers and opportunities of "unregulated growth"
Compared to the standardised development of medical escorts, other industries are still in a state of "unregulated growth". What challenges are they facing?
Currently, companionship services are primarily "ordered" online through social media platforms, e-commerce platforms, etc., and both parties generally make verbal agreements.
Due to weak platform supervision and lax identity verification, there are security risks in offline contact.
A lawyer has pointed out that whether the transaction is through an individual, an order-taking group, or an online shop, both parties have very little information about each other, and in the event of a dispute, they face high costs to defend their rights.
Secondly, there are hidden dangers regarding private data, especially with products like AI companions, which can easily leak sensitive information, and some platform algorithms induce consumption.
As most practitioners are sole traders or gig economy workers, there is a distinct lack of professional training, leading to inconsistent service standards. Consequently, these workers often lack basic rights and protections.
The fact that their emotional labour is frequently undervalued, coupled with a poor professional image, remains a major struggle for those in the industry.
Some veteran practitioners are taking the initiative to transition by forming their own hiking companion teams and setting up dedicated studios. Their aim is to adopt a corporate model to provide a more regulated and standardised service.
Similarly, in fields like professional listening and travel companionship, workers are actively upskilling by studying for qualifications in areas such as counselling or tour guiding—ensuring they are fully certified before taking on clients.
The companionship economy is built upon the seemingly trivial details of daily life, gradually evolving into a vast and heart-warming new sector.
Historically, the service industry focused solely on "getting the job done"; today, however, the emphasis is on providing a "human touch" and peace of mind.
Companionship services do not merely strive for efficiency and volume. They prioritise human connection and quality of life. This represents more than just an innovative business model—it is a true reflection of the shift towards high-quality, value-driven development.
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