Citizens LIVING LONGER
Lei Haichao, Minister of the National Health Commission, said China’s public wellness changes are visible.  ,
Average life expectancy hit 79 times in 2024- an boost of 0.4 times from 2023, and a increase of 1.7 times compared to 2019.
Hailing the noticeable progress, Lei noted that in most countries and regions where life expectancy exceeds 75 times, the monthly increase “typically ranges from just 0.1 to 0.2 years”.
Data compiled from 53 center- and high-income nations shows China ranking third in terms of life expectancy, according to Lei.
He added that China ranks 10th among the G20 countries.
Lei highlighted that many regions- including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Hainan- have also surpassed the 80-year step in living expectancy.
” This suggests that China also has tremendous potential for further rises in living expectancy, and we remain positive about continuing changes”, said Lei.
Despite these enabling images, significant challenges persist.  ,
Lei warned of a growing public health concern: excessive body weight, which includes being both fat and skinny- a problem driven by superior living standards, higher energy intake, and less actual activity.  ,
Adding that this pattern elevates the risks of diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, he emphasised it is” important” for China to handle lifestyle-related risk factors.
Estimates from the National Health Commission suggest that by 2030, as many as 65.3 per share of the country’s people may be overweight or obese.
” Each person has taking responsibility for their own health”, he said.
Lei furthermore stressed the need to strengthen primary care, a cornerstone of China’s “new age medical strategy”.  ,
He highlighted that China’s medical system is broad, with over 600, 000 primary healthcare establishments and more than 5 million frontline staff delivering protective, health, and treatment services across cities, villages, and communities.  ,
Local governments have boosted medical access by expanding medical insurance to over 90 percent of village clinics, while the Ministry of Finance has poured nearly 900 million yuan ( US$ 124.4m ) into upgrading medical equipment in township hospitals across central and western China.
Looking ahead, priorities include strengthening primary healthcare services, enhancing infrastructure and capacity, and ensuring basic healthcare access.  ,
China plans to expand county-level healthcare alliances- with a target that 90 percent of counties meet the “tight-knit” standard by year’s end and full national coverage by 2027- and integrate innovative measures like AI-assisted diagnostics.  ,
Additionally, per capita basic public health funding will be increased by 5 yuan, reaching 99 yuan, to further boost service quality.
DEMOGRAPHIC TIME BOMB ,
The demographic pressures extend beyond public health. An ageing population, combined with falling birth rates, is expected to strain social security systems and the labour market, which could impact economic growth.  ,