Life expectancy, source comparison in China
China: Life expectancy, source comparison was 77.95 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Life expectancy, source comparison in China, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
China recorded 77.95 years for life expectancy, source comparison in 2023.
The figure is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy, source comparison in China peaked at 78.2 years in 2022 and was at its lowest, 33.42 years, in 1960.
That places China 76th out of 236 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 45.88 years | 40.17 years | 48.83 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 50.08 years | 33.42 years | 55.99 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 60.43 years | 56.82 years | 63.7 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 66.24 years | 64.24 years | 67.93 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 70.11 years | 68.16 years | 71.95 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 73.85 years | 72.29 years | 75.32 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 76.8 years | 75.67 years | 77.94 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 78.07 years | 77.95 years | 78.2 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
More health data for China
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 2,029 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4,642 deaths (2100)
- Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 0 deaths (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 0 deaths (2026)
- Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 8.74 million (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 7.51 million (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 8.70 million (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 7.46 million (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 8.44 million (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 7.21 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy, source comparison in China?
- Life expectancy, source comparison in China was 77.95 years in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy, source comparison recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 78.2 years in 2022.
- What is the lowest life expectancy, source comparison recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.42 years in 1960.
- How does China rank for life expectancy, source comparison?
- China ranks 76th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy, source comparison rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy, source comparison. 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).
About this data
Period life expectancy at birth.