Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (Life World Population) in China
China: Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (Life World Population) was 78.02 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
Life expectancy at birth, total in China, 1960–2024
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy at birth, total in China is 78.02 years, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in China peaked at 78.2 years in 2022 and was at its lowest, 33.42 years, in 1960.
China ranks 71st of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (Life World Population) in China, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 33.42 years | — |
| 1961 | 40.16 years | +20.2% |
| 1962 | 50.96 years | +26.9% |
| 1963 | 51.67 years | +1.4% |
| 1964 | 52.34 years | +1.3% |
| 1965 | 53 years | +1.3% |
| 1966 | 53.66 years | +1.2% |
| 1967 | 54.4 years | +1.4% |
| 1968 | 55.19 years | +1.5% |
| 1969 | 55.99 years | +1.4% |
| 1970 | 56.82 years | +1.5% |
| 1971 | 57.73 years | +1.6% |
| 1972 | 58.58 years | +1.5% |
| 1973 | 59.5 years | +1.6% |
| 1974 | 60.24 years | +1.3% |
| 1975 | 60.95 years | +1.2% |
| 1976 | 61.23 years | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 62.46 years | +2.0% |
| 1978 | 63.1 years | +1.0% |
| 1979 | 63.7 years | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 64.24 years | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 64.78 years | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 65.25 years | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 65.73 years | +0.7% |
| 1984 | 66.15 years | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 66.53 years | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 66.89 years | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 67.26 years | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 67.61 years | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 67.93 years | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 68.16 years | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 68.61 years | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 69.06 years | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 69.49 years | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 69.83 years | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 70.36 years | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 70.82 years | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 71.23 years | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 71.6 years | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 71.95 years | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 72.29 years | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 72.67 years | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 73.03 years | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 73.39 years | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 73.73 years | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 74.08 years | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 74.4 years | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 74.79 years | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 74.83 years | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 75.32 years | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 75.67 years | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 75.89 years | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 76.2 years | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 76.45 years | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 76.71 years | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 76.97 years | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 77.21 years | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 77.23 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 77.71 years | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 77.94 years | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 78.02 years | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 78.12 years | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 78.2 years | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 77.95 years | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 78.02 years | +0.1% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 78.02 years is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 74.53 years, 1.0× the median. (59 countries reporting)
- China's 78.02 years is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 72.99 years, 1.1× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (Life World Population) in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | +26.9% | 40.16 years | 50.96 years |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 78.06 years | 77.95 years | 78.2 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 69 Turks and Caicos Islands 78.18 years compare
- 70 Bosnia and Herzegovina 78.04 years compare
- 72 Jordan 77.98 years compare
- 73 Lebanon 77.94 years compare
- 74 Peru 77.94 years compare
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)
- 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)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 10 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -8.22 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0159 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -8.73 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, total in China?
- Life expectancy at birth, total in China was 78.02 years in 2024, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 78.2 years in 2022.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.42 years in 1960.
- How does China rank for life expectancy at birth, total?
- China ranks 71st out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Life expectancy at birth, total (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
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.