Shuaiqi Gao, Chong Li and Cameron Campbell published a paper on the age dynamics of the careers of 19th century Qing officials 清代文官的年龄动态研究（1830—1911）in one of the leading Chinese history journals, 近代史研究. Here’s the announcement of the issue at the journal’s Wechat account: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/pKT33blHGmKZglydDOgDiw
Full text at CNKI Overseas and CNKI China
Reference:
康文林 (Cameron Campbell), 高帅奇 (Gao Shuaiqi), 李翀 (Li Chong). 2026. 清代文官的年龄动态研究（1830—1911）(Research on the Age Dynamics of Qing Civil Officials, 1830-1911). 近代史研究 (Journal of Modern Chinese History). 2(March): 93-116.
Here is the abstract:
清代文官在功名获取、任命、履职以及离职时的年龄变化，揭示了官僚系统内部的运行状态。通过关联中国历史官员量化数据库——清代缙绅录和同年齿录数据库，获得1830—1911年16913名进士、举人及贡生的382983条官员年龄信息记录。样本数据涵盖从地方教育官员至中央高级官员的所有官员类别。定量分析结果显示，官员首次入仕、履职以及离职时的年龄分布，明显受到其功名及品级的影响，呈现高度的离散性，这也反映出许多中举士子候缺及晋升的时间较长。相较于进士，举人首次候缺的时间更长。清代官僚系统内部的动态变化可能导致官员仕途晋升的困难，官员在职死亡是引发官僚体系人员流动的重要因素之一。官员年龄的动态变化，揭示了太平天国运动后大量新官员开始涌入清政府官僚系统，高龄官员不适度的离职率对年轻官员任命和晋升产生较大影响。
The age dynamics of Qing Dynasty civil officials upon obtaining their academic titles, appointments, assumption of office, and departures yield new insights into the internal workings of the bureaucratic system. By linking the quantitative databases of Chinese historical officials—the Qing Dynasty Official Records and the Records of Age of the Same Year—382,983 records of age information for 16,913 Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), Juren (successful candidates in the provincial imperial examinations), and Gongsheng (tribute students) from 1830 to 1911 were obtained. The sample data covers all categories of officials, from local education officials to high-ranking central government officials. Results show that the age distribution of officials upon their first entry into officialdom, assumption of office, and departure is significantly influenced by their academic titles and ranks, exhibiting high dispersion. This also reflects the long waiting time for many Juren to be promoted. Compared to Jinshi, Juren had a longer initial waiting time. The dynamic changes within the Qing Dynasty bureaucratic system may have led to difficulties in career advancement for officials, and the death of officials in office was a significant factor in personnel turnover within the bureaucratic system. The changes in officials’ ages reveal that after the Taiping Rebellion, a large influx of new officials entered the Qing government’s bureaucratic system, and the low turnover rate of older officials significantly impacted the appointment and promotion of younger officials.