\nHIGHLIGHTSThe development of education for older adults through policy measures has become an important means for governments to actively cope with population aging. Taking the number of education policies for older adults adopted in 31 provinces of China from 2016 to 2023 as an example, this study empirically analyzes the factors influencing the diffusion of education policies from dimensions of internal tension and external pressure. The results showed that the level of economic development, natural population growth rate, older adults dependency ratio, child dependency ratio, illiterate population over 15 years old, number of local libraries inside the province and the adoption of education policies for older adults in adjacent provinces significantly affected the adoption of education policies for older adults in each province. After the introduction of regional variables, it is found that there are significant differences in the adoption of education policies for older adults by provincial governments in different regions of China. The policy responsiveness of eastern provinces is the best, followed by the central, and the western is the worst. The above results indicate that provincial governments in China are not only affected by the supply level of education services for older adults and their service demand within the province, but also affected by the adoption behavior of other provinces when making decisions, which is the result of rational thinking and competitive pressure. The above results provide China’s experience for the diffusion and implementation of education policies for older adults in a wider range. The research focus of education policy for older adults is shifted from the content, value demands and implementation effects of central policy texts to the innovation and diffusion of policies at the local level, which expands the theoretical vision of education policy research for older adults. The empirical analysis results of this paper show that the combination of the education policy for older adults with the internal tension factors and external competitive pressure such as provincial economic level, population transition trend and public service resources can actively promote a new perspective to carry out research on the policy response of Chinese local governments. It will help to form a detailed and concrete understanding of the effect of local policy innovation in China.This paper expands the applicability of contemporary policy diffusion theory in non-Western countries by examining the diffusion factors that influence Chinese provincial education policies for older adults. It is proposed that when explaining the phenomenon of policy diffusion in China’s local governments, we should not only focus on the economic conditions of the internal jurisdiction and the external diffusion effect emphasized by the existing theories, but also pay attention to the current background of population transition, China’s inter-governmental relations, and even the influence of the official personnel system. These findings provide new theoretical space and application prospects for the research on the diffusion of local government policy innovation.This paper has the following implications for further promoting the reform and innovation of education for older adults in China: First, the empirical results further highlight the value of education for older adults to develop and utilize human resources, and urge us to associate the practice of education for older adults with the evaluation indicators related to economic increase such as retraining and reemployment, and accelerate the innovation and diffusion of education policies for older adults; Second, the ultimate goal of the diffusion of education policies for older adults is to achieve policy results. Therefore, the provincial government should formulate ‘local’ education policies for older adults that meet the needs of the provincial population and avoid mechanical imitation or blind competition between the central government and other provincial policies. Third, it is necessary to further improve the utilization of provincial public service resources, including the use of museums and library resources to launch education for older adults.The research focus of education policy for older adults is shifted from the content, value demands and implementation effects of central policy texts to the innovation and diffusion of policies at the local level, which expands the theoretical vision of education policy research for older adults. The empirical analysis results of this paper show that the combination of the education policy for older adults with the internal tension factors and external competitive pressure such as provincial economic level, population transition trend and public service resources can actively promote a new perspective to carry out research on the policy response of Chinese local governments. It will help to form a detailed and concrete understanding of the effect of local policy innovation in China.This paper expands the applicability of contemporary policy diffusion theory in non-Western countries by examining the diffusion factors that influence Chinese provincial education policies for older adults. It is proposed that when explaining the phenomenon of policy diffusion in China’s local governments, we should not only focus on the economic conditions of the internal jurisdiction and the external diffusion effect emphasized by the existing theories, but also pay attention to the current background of population transition, China’s inter-governmental relations, and even the influence of the official personnel system. These findings provide new theoretical space and application prospects for the research on the diffusion of local government policy innovation.This paper has the following implications for further promoting the reform and innovation of education for older adults in China: First, the empirical results further highlight the value of education for older adults to develop and utilize human resources, and urge us to associate the practice of education for older adults with the evaluation indicators related to economic increase such as retraining and reemployment, and accelerate the innovation and diffusion of education policies for older adults; Second, the ultimate goal of the diffusion of education policies for older adults is to achieve policy results. Therefore, the provincial government should formulate ‘local’ education policies for older adults that meet the needs of the provincial population and avoid mechanical imitation or blind competition between the central government and other provincial policies. Third, it is necessary to further improve the utilization of provincial public service resources, including the use of museums and library resources to launch education for older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]