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.

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.

Graph and download economic data for Life Expectancy at Birth, Total for China (SPDYNLE00INCHN) from 1960 to 2023 about life expectancy, life, birth, and China.

Historical dataset showing China life expectancy by year from 1950 to 2025.

Life expectancy at birth, total (years) in China was reported at 77.95 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Life expectancy at birth, total (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

Life expectancy at birth, female (years) in China was reported at 80.93 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Life expectancy at birth, female (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

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.

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.

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 October of 2025.

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.

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。

This line chart displays life expectancy at birth (year) by date using the aggregation average, weighted by population in China. The data is about countries per year.

China Life Expectancy: Female data was reported at 80.880 Year Old in 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 79.430 Year Old for 2015. China Life Expectancy: Female data is updated yearly, averaging 75.250 Year Old from Dec 1981 (Median) to 2020, with 7 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 80.880 Year Old in 2020 and a record low of 69.270 Year Old in 1981. China Life Expectancy: Female 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.

CN: Life Expectancy: Fujian data was reported at 78.490 Year Old in 12-01-2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 75.760 Year Old for 12-01-2010. CN: Life Expectancy: Fujian data is updated decadal, averaging 74.155 Year Old from Dec 1990 (Median) to 12-01-2020, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 78.490 Year Old in 12-01-2020 and a record low of 68.570 Year Old in 12-01-1990. CN: Life Expectancy: Fujian 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.

Graph and download economic data for Life Expectancy at Birth, Total for Hong Kong SAR, China (SPDYNLE00INHKG) from 1960 to 2023 about Hong Kong, life expectancy, life, and birth.

This scatter chart displays land area (km²) against life expectancy at birth (year) in China. The data is filtered where the date is 2021. The data is about countries per year.

CN: Life Expectancy: Liaoning data was reported at 78.680 Year Old in 12-01-2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 76.380 Year Old for 12-01-2010. CN: Life Expectancy: Liaoning data is updated decadal, averaging 74.860 Year Old from Dec 1990 (Median) to 12-01-2020, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 78.680 Year Old in 12-01-2020 and a record low of 70.220 Year Old in 12-01-1990. CN: Life Expectancy: Liaoning 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.

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.

BackgroundChina's rapid economic and social development since the early 2000s has caused significant shifts in its epidemiological transition, potentially leading to health disparities across regions.ObjectivesThis study employs Life Expectancy (LE) to assess health disparities and trends among China's eastern, central, and western regions. It also examines the pace of LE gains relative to empirical trends and investigates age and causes of death mortality improvement contributing to regional LE gaps.Data and methodsUsing a log-quadratic model, the study estimates LE in China and its regions from 2004 to 2020, using census and death cause surveillance data. It also utilizes the Human Mortality Database (HMD) and the LE gains by LE level approach to analyze China and its regions' LE gains in comparison to empirical trend of developed countries. The study investigates changes in LE gaps due to age and causes of death mortality improvements during two periods, 2004–2012 and 2012–2020, through the LE factor decomposition method.ResultsFrom 2000 to 2020, China's LE exhibited faster pace of gains compared to developed countries. While men's LE growth gradually aligns with empirical trends, women experience slightly higher growth rates. Regional LE disparities significantly reduced from 2004 to 2012, with a marginal reduction from 2012 to 2020. In the latter period, the changing LE gap aligns with expected trends in developed countries, with all Chinese regions surpassing empirical estimates. Cardiovascular diseases and malignant neoplasms emerged as the primary contributors to expanding regional LE gaps, with neurological disorders and diabetes playing an increasingly negative role.ConclusionLE disparities in China have consistently decreased, although at a slower pace in recent years, mirroring empirical trends. To further reduce regional LE disparities, targeted efforts should focus on improving mortality rates related to cardiovascular diseases, neoplasms, neurological disorders and diabetes, especially in the western region. Effective health interventions should prioritize equalizing basic public health services nationwide.

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.