Difference in male and female life expectancy in China
China: Difference in male and female life expectancy was 5.64 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
5.64
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
71st
of 229 countries
All-time high
5.73
in 2017
All-time low
3.71
in 1954
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Difference in male and female life expectancy in China, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, difference in male and female life expectancy in China stood at 5.64.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 8.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, difference in male and female life expectancy in China peaked at 5.73 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 3.71, in 1954.
That places China 71st out of 229 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Difference in male and female life expectancy in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 3.97 | — |
| 1951 | 3.86 | -2.9% |
| 1952 | 3.89 | +0.7% |
| 1953 | 3.73 | -4.0% |
| 1954 | 3.71 | -0.7% |
| 1955 | 4.04 | +9.1% |
| 1956 | 4 | -1.0% |
| 1957 | 4.04 | +1.1% |
| 1958 | 4.16 | +2.9% |
| 1959 | 4.31 | +3.5% |
| 1960 | 4.13 | -4.2% |
| 1961 | 4.2 | +1.7% |
| 1962 | 4.34 | +3.5% |
| 1963 | 4.29 | -1.2% |
| 1964 | 4.27 | -0.4% |
| 1965 | 4.34 | +1.5% |
| 1966 | 4.2 | -3.1% |
| 1967 | 4.15 | -1.4% |
| 1968 | 4.02 | -3.0% |
| 1969 | 3.97 | -1.3% |
| 1970 | 3.88 | -2.4% |
| 1971 | 3.72 | -4.0% |
| 1972 | 3.73 | +0.4% |
| 1973 | 3.91 | +4.7% |
| 1974 | 4.12 | +5.4% |
| 1975 | 4.19 | +1.7% |
| 1976 | 4 | -4.5% |
| 1977 | 4.24 | +6.0% |
| 1978 | 4.26 | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 4.27 | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 4.29 | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 4.35 | +1.4% |
| 1982 | 4.38 | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 4.42 | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 4.45 | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 4.51 | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 4.58 | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 4.68 | +2.1% |
| 1988 | 4.72 | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 4.69 | -0.8% |
| 1990 | 4.52 | -3.5% |
| 1991 | 4.59 | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 4.55 | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 4.73 | +4.0% |
| 1994 | 4.82 | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 4.98 | +3.3% |
| 1996 | 4.98 | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 4.97 | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 4.93 | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 4.83 | -2.0% |
| 2000 | 4.86 | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 4.86 | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 4.89 | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 4.91 | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 4.92 | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 5 | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 5.03 | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 4.95 | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 4.99 | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 5.08 | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 5 | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 5.18 | +3.6% |
| 2012 | 5.23 | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 5.22 | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 5.28 | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 5.32 | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 5.38 | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 5.73 | +6.5% |
| 2018 | 5.46 | -4.8% |
| 2019 | 5.37 | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 5.69 | +5.9% |
| 2021 | 5.37 | -5.7% |
| 2022 | 5.6 | +4.4% |
| 2023 | 5.64 | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3.97 | 3.71 | 4.31 | 10 |
| 1960s | 4.19 | 3.97 | 4.34 | 10 |
| 1970s | 4.03 | 3.72 | 4.27 | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.51 | 4.29 | 4.72 | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.79 | 4.52 | 4.98 | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.95 | 4.86 | 5.08 | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.32 | 5 | 5.73 | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.57 | 5.37 | 5.69 | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
More health data for China
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.15 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.0985 % change on previous year (2090)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates 2,029 (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 4,642 (2100)
- Population ages 65 and above, total, annual growth rate 1.51 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, total, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, total, per capita 0.1491 units per person (2025)
- Population, female, annual growth rate -0.0988 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population, female, per capita 0.4909 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is difference in male and female life expectancy in China?
- Difference in male and female life expectancy in China was 5.64 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest difference in male and female life expectancy recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 5.73 in 2017.
- What is the lowest difference in male and female life expectancy recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.71 in 1954.
- How does China rank for difference in male and female life expectancy?
- China ranks 71st out of 229 countries with data for 2023.
- Is difference in male and female life expectancy rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Difference in male and female life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).