In the world's most populous country, life expectancy has been continuously rising over the last decades, benefitting greatly from China's economic ascendance. In 2022, average life expectancy at birth in China reached about 78.6 years. Life expectancy at birth Life expectancy at birth refers to the average number of years a group of people born in the same year would live, assuming constant mortality rates. San Marino and Monaco had the highest life expectancy at birth, while China had reached a life expectancy above global average. People who were born in San Marino or Monaco in 2023 had a life expectancy of approximately 87 years or 86 years on average respectively. Demographic development in China Whereas average life expectancy at birth has been growing steadily, birth rates in China have been experiencing a slowdown. In 2024, about 6.77 babies had been born per 1,000 women in China, the second lowest point in the recent decade. As a result of low fertility rates and the extended life expectancy in China, the share of elderly people had been rising rapidly. The number of Chinese population aged 60 and older had more than doubled over the past three decades and is projected to reach its peak at 504 million in 2050. People aged 60 and older have been estimated to account for approximately one fourth of China’s total population by 2030, indicating a sharp climb from just around 13 percent in 2010. In order to pinpoint this massive shift in the age pyramid of China, an important indicator for measuring the pressure of aging population on productive population may be consulted. The old-age dependency ratio in China was expected to reach 52.3 percent in 2050.

The graph shows the life expectancy of women in China from 1960 to 2022 with forecasts until 2050. In 2022, the average life expectancy of women at birth in China was about 81.3 years.

Life expectancy in China was just 32 in the year 1850, and over the course of the next 170 years, it is expected to more than double to 76.6 years in 2020. Between 1850 and 1950, finding reliable data proved difficult for anthropologists, however some events, such as the Taiping Rebellion and Dungan Revolt in the nineteenth century did reduce life expectancy by a few years, and also the Chinese Civil War and Second World War in the first half of the twentieth century. In the second half of the 1900s, Chinese life expectancy increased greatly, as the country became more industrialized and the standard of living increased.

China Life Expectancy data was reported at 78.200 Year Old in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 77.930 Year Old for 2020. China Life Expectancy data is updated yearly, averaging 76.340 Year Old from Dec 1981 (Median) to 2021, with 13 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 78.200 Year Old in 2021 and a record low of 67.770 Year Old in 1981. China Life Expectancy data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: Life Expectancy: By Region. According to the National Health Commission, from 2016 to 2017, the average life expectancy of residents per capita has increased from 76.5 to 76.7 years. For reference only. 根据国家卫生健康委员会，从2016年到2017年，居民人均预期寿命由76.5岁提高到76.7岁。以供參考。

Life expectancy at birth, male (years) in China was reported at 75.2 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Life expectancy at birth, male (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

Macau SAR Average Life Expectancy at Birth: Male data was reported at 80.600 Year in 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 80.300 Year for 2017. Macau SAR Average Life Expectancy at Birth: Male data is updated yearly, averaging 78.900 Year from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2018, with 23 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 80.600 Year in 2018 and a record low of 75.100 Year in 1996. Macau SAR Average Life Expectancy at Birth: Male data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics and Census Service. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Macau SAR – Table MO.G005: Life Expectancy at Birth.

Male life expectancy of China fell by 0.35% from 75.5 years in 2022 to 75.2 years in 2023. Since the 0.32% improve in 2021, male life expectancy slipped by 0.38% in 2023. Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.

The graph shows the life expectancy of men in China from 1960 to 2022 with forecasts until 2050. In 2022, the average life expectancy of men at birth in China was around 76 years.

China Life Expectancy: Male data was reported at 75.370 Year Old in 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 73.640 Year Old for 2015. China Life Expectancy: Male data is updated yearly, averaging 70.830 Year Old from Dec 1981 (Median) to 2020, with 7 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 75.370 Year Old in 2020 and a record low of 66.280 Year Old in 1981. China Life Expectancy: Male data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: Life Expectancy: By Region.

China: Life expectancy, in years: The latest value from 2023 is 77.95 years, a decline from 78.2 years in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 73.65 years, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for China from 1960 to 2023 is 66.99 years. The minimum value, 33.42 years, was reached in 1960 while the maximum of 78.2 years was recorded in 2022.

Life Expectancy: Beijing data was reported at 82.490 Year Old in 12-01-2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 80.180 Year Old for 12-01-2010. Life Expectancy: Beijing data is updated decadal, averaging 78.140 Year Old from Dec 1990 (Median) to 12-01-2020, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 82.490 Year Old in 12-01-2020 and a record low of 72.860 Year Old in 12-01-1990. Life Expectancy: Beijing data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: Life Expectancy: By Region.

China: Life expectancy, in years, female: The latest value from 2022 is 81.34 years, an increase from 81.16 years in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 74.94 years, based on data from 192 countries. Historically, the average for China from 1960 to 2022 is 69.17 years. The minimum value, 34.62 years, was reached in 1960 while the maximum of 81.34 years was recorded in 2022.

In 2022, the average life expectancy for the registered population in Shanghai municipality was ***** years. In that particular year, the life expectancy of registered female persons was ***** years, while that of male persons was ***** years.

Global life expectancy at birth has risen significantly since the mid-1900s, from roughly 46 years in 1950 to 73.2 years in 2023. Post-COVID-19 projections There was a drop of 1.7 years during the COVID-19 pandemic, between 2019 and 2021, however, figures resumed upon their previous trajectory the following year due to the implementation of vaccination campaigns and the lower severity of later strains of the virus. By the end of the century it is believed that global life expectancy from birth will reach 82 years, although growth will slow in the coming decades as many of the more-populous Asian countries reach demographic maturity. However, there is still expected to be a wide gap between various regions at the end of the 2100s, with the Europe and North America expected to have life expectancies around 90 years, whereas Sub-Saharan Africa is predicted to be in the low-70s. The Great Leap Forward While a decrease of one year during the COVID-19 pandemic may appear insignificant, this is the largest decline in life expectancy since the "Great Leap Forward" in China in 1958, which caused global life expectancy to fall by almost four years between by 1960. The "Great Leap Forward" was a series of modernizing reforms, which sought to rapidly transition China's agrarian economy into an industrial economy, but mismanagement led to tens of millions of deaths through famine and disease.

Since 1970, the median age of China’s population has continued to increase from around ** years to around **** years in 2020. According to estimates from the United Nations, the increasing trend will slow down when the median age will reach ** years in the middle of the 21st century and will remain at around ** years up to 2100. China’s aging population Although the median age of China’s population is still lower than in many developed countries, for example in Japan, the consequences of a rapidly aging population have already become a concern for the country’s future. As the most populated country in the world, the large labor force in China contributed to the country’s astonishing economic growth in the last decades. Nowadays however, the aging population is going to become a burden for China’s social welfare system and could change China’s economic situation. Reasons for the aging population Like in many other countries, increasing life expectancy is regarded as the main reason for the aging of the population. As healthcare and living standards have improved, life expectancy in China has also increased. In addition, the one-child policy led to a decreasing fertility rate in China, which further increased the share of older people in the society. Even though the one-child policy has been abolished in 2016, many young people are refraining from having children, largely due to the high costs of raising a child, career pressure and the pursuit of freedom.

This bar chart displays life expectancy at birth (year) by ISO 3 country code using the aggregation average, weighted by population in China. The data is filtered where the date is 2021. The data is about countries per year.

Background: Child malnutrition is not only common in developing countries but also an important issue faced by developed countries. This study aimed to explore the influence and degree of childhood starvation on the health of the elderly, which provides a reference for formulating health-related policies under the concept of full lifecycle health.Methods: Based on the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) in 2008, 2011, and 2014, this study took a total of 13,185 elderly people aged 65–99 years as the target population. By IMaCH software, with gender and income level as the control variables, the average life expectancy and healthy life expectancy of the elderly were measured. The x2test was used to explore the differences in the socioeconomic status of elderly people with or without starvation in childhood. Statistical differences between average life expectancy and healthy life expectancy were analyzed by rank tests.Results: (1) The results showed that there was a statistically significant difference in age, gender, residency, education level, and income level between the groups with or without starvation (P < 0.05). (2) Transition probabilities in health–disability, health–death, and disability–death all showed an upward trend with age (P < 0.05), where the elderly who experienced starvation in childhood were higher than those without such an experience (P < 0.05). However, the probability of disability–health recovery showed a downward trend with age (P < 0.05), in which the elderly who experienced starvation in childhood were lower than those without starvation (P < 0.05). (3) For the elderly who experienced starvation in childhood, the health indicators of the average life expectancy, healthy life expectancy, and healthy life expectancy proportion accounted for the remaining life were lower than those of the elderly without childhood starvation (P < 0.05).Conclusions: The average life expectancy and healthy life expectancy of the elderly with childhood starvation are lower than those without childhood starvation. It shows that the negative impact of childhood starvation on health through the life course till old age has a persistent negative cumulative effect on the quantity and quality of life. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the nutritional status of children in poor families from the perspective of social policymaking.

Life Expectancy: Female: Tianjin data was reported at 83.400 Year Old in 12-01-2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 80.480 Year Old for 12-01-2010. Life Expectancy: Female: Tianjin data is updated decadal, averaging 78.555 Year Old from Dec 1990 (Median) to 12-01-2020, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 83.400 Year Old in 12-01-2020 and a record low of 73.730 Year Old in 12-01-1990. Life Expectancy: Female: Tianjin data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: Life Expectancy: By Region.

73.52 (years) in 2010. Life Expectancy refers to the average number of years that people who already have lived to a certain age and can relive. It reflects integrated indicators of the level of human health and the level of death and is mainly affected by the level of social and economic conditions and health standards and other factors, and differs a lot in different societies and different period of time. In the case of not specified ages, the average life expectancy refers to life expectancy of the population aged 0.

71.31 (years) in 2010. Life Expectancy refers to the average number of years that people who already have lived to a certain age and can relive. It reflects integrated indicators of the level of human health and the level of death and is mainly affected by the level of social and economic conditions and health standards and other factors, and differs a lot in different societies and different period of time. In the case of not specified ages, the average life expectancy refers to life expectancy of the population aged 0.