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.

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.

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.

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.

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, 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.

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

Hong Kong HK: Life Expectancy at Birth: Female data was reported at 87.300 Year in 2016. This stayed constant from the previous number of 87.300 Year for 2015. Hong Kong HK: Life Expectancy at Birth: Female data is updated yearly, averaging 79.900 Year from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 87.300 Year in 2016 and a record low of 70.692 Year in 1960. Hong Kong HK: Life Expectancy at Birth: Female data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Hong Kong SAR – Table HK.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. 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.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision. (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;

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.

Hong Kong HK: Life Expectancy at Birth: Male data was reported at 81.300 Year in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 81.400 Year for 2015. Hong Kong HK: Life Expectancy at Birth: Male data is updated yearly, averaging 74.200 Year from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 81.400 Year in 2015 and a record low of 63.409 Year in 1960. Hong Kong HK: Life Expectancy at Birth: Male data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Hong Kong – Table HK.World Bank: Health Statistics. 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.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision. (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;

Hong Kong HK: Life Expectancy at Birth: Total data was reported at 84.227 Year in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 84.278 Year for 2015. Hong Kong HK: Life Expectancy at Birth: Total data is updated yearly, averaging 77.029 Year from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 84.278 Year in 2015 and a record low of 66.962 Year in 1960. Hong Kong HK: Life Expectancy at Birth: Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Hong Kong – Table HK.World Bank: Health Statistics. 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.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision, or derived from male and female life expectancy at birth from sources such as: (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;

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.

A global phenomenon, known as the demographic transition, has seen life expectancy from birth increase rapidly over the past two centuries. In pre-industrial societies, the average life expectancy was around 24 years, and it is believed that this was the case throughout most of history, and in all regions. The demographic transition then began in the industrial societies of Europe, North America, and the West Pacific around the turn of the 19th century, and life expectancy rose accordingly. Latin America was the next region to follow, before Africa and most Asian populations saw their life expectancy rise throughout the 20th century.

Macau MO: Life Expectancy at Birth: Total data was reported at 83.849 Year in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 83.700 Year for 2015. Macau MO: Life Expectancy at Birth: Total data is updated yearly, averaging 76.680 Year from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 83.849 Year in 2016 and a record low of 64.828 Year in 1960. Macau MO: Life Expectancy at Birth: Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Macau – Table MO.World Bank: Health Statistics. 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.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision, or derived from male and female life expectancy at birth from sources such as: (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;

Mauritius's Average life expectancy is 74.18Age which is the 101st highest in the world ranking. Transition graphs on Average life expectancy in Mauritius and comparison bar charts (USA vs. China vs. Japan vs. Mauritius), (Timor-Leste vs. Cyprus vs. Mauritius) are used for easy understanding. Various data can be downloaded and output in csv format for use in EXCEL free of charge.

Chine: Life expectancy, in years: Pour cet indicateur, La Banque mondiale fournit des données pour la Chine de 1960 à 2022. La valeur moyenne pour Chine pendant cette période était de 66.76 years avec un minimum de 33.28 years en 1960 et un maximum de 78.59 years en 2022.

China Population: Number of Death data was reported at 10.410 Person mn in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 10.140 Person mn for 2021. China Population: Number of Death data is updated yearly, averaging 7.795 Person mn from Dec 1950 (Median) to 2022, with 70 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16.930 Person mn in 1960 and a record low of 5.980 Person mn in 1978. China Population: Number of Death 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: No of Birth, Death, Natural Growth, Birth Rate, Death Rate and Natural Growth Rate, Life Expectancy, Dependency Ratio.

The child mortality rate in China, for children under the age of five, was 417 deaths per thousand births in 1850. This means that for all children born in 1850, almost 42 percent did not make it to their fifth birthday. Over the course of the next 170 years, this number has dropped drastically, and the rate has dropped to its lowest point ever in 2020 where it is just twelve deaths per thousand births. The sharpest decrease came between 1950 and 1955, as the Chinese Civil War ended, and the country began to recover from the Second World War. The decline then stopped between 1955 and 1965, due to famines caused by Chairman Mao Zedong's attempted Great Leap Forward, which was a failed attempt to industrialize China in the late twentieth century.

China Population: Number of Natural Growth data was reported at -0.850 Person mn in 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.480 Person mn for 2021. China Population: Number of Natural Growth data is updated yearly, averaging 12.085 Person mn from Dec 1950 (Median) to 2022, with 70 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 22.700 Person mn in 1963 and a record low of -3.040 Person mn in 1960. China Population: Number of Natural Growth 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: No of Birth, Death, Natural Growth, Birth Rate, Death Rate and Natural Growth Rate, Life Expectancy, Dependency Ratio.