Life expectancy — Life expectancy difference (male-female) in China
China: Life expectancy — Life expectancy difference (male-female) was -5.7 Years in 2024. ▼ Falling
Life expectancy — Life expectancy difference in China, 1960–2024
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Years.
Analysis
In 2024, life expectancy — life expectancy difference in China stood at -5.7 Years.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy — life expectancy difference in China peaked at -2.7 Years in 1960 and was at its lowest, -5.8 Years, in 2017.
China ranks 30th of 41 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Life expectancy — Life expectancy difference (male-female) in China, year by year
| Year | Years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | -2.7 Years | — |
| 1961 | -3.3 Years | +22.2% |
| 1962 | -4.2 Years | +27.3% |
| 1963 | -4.2 Years | -0.0% |
| 1964 | -4.2 Years | -0.0% |
| 1965 | -4.3 Years | +2.4% |
| 1966 | -4.1 Years | -4.7% |
| 1967 | -4.1 Years | -0.0% |
| 1968 | -4 Years | -2.4% |
| 1969 | -3.9 Years | -2.5% |
| 1970 | -3.8 Years | -2.6% |
| 1971 | -3.7 Years | -2.6% |
| 1972 | -3.7 Years | -0.0% |
| 1973 | -3.9 Years | +5.4% |
| 1974 | -4.2 Years | +7.7% |
| 1975 | -4.3 Years | +2.4% |
| 1976 | -4.1 Years | -4.7% |
| 1977 | -4.4 Years | +7.3% |
| 1978 | -4.4 Years | -0.0% |
| 1979 | -4.4 Years | -0.0% |
| 1980 | -4.5 Years | +2.3% |
| 1981 | -4.5 Years | -0.0% |
| 1982 | -4.6 Years | +2.2% |
| 1983 | -4.6 Years | -0.0% |
| 1984 | -4.6 Years | -0.0% |
| 1985 | -4.7 Years | +2.2% |
| 1986 | -4.8 Years | +2.1% |
| 1987 | -4.8 Years | -0.0% |
| 1988 | -4.9 Years | +2.1% |
| 1989 | -4.9 Years | -0.0% |
| 1990 | -4.7 Years | -4.1% |
| 1991 | -4.8 Years | +2.1% |
| 1992 | -4.7 Years | -2.1% |
| 1993 | -4.9 Years | +4.3% |
| 1994 | -5 Years | +2.0% |
| 1995 | -5.2 Years | +4.0% |
| 1996 | -5.2 Years | -0.0% |
| 1997 | -5.2 Years | -0.0% |
| 1998 | -5.1 Years | -1.9% |
| 1999 | -5 Years | -2.0% |
| 2000 | -5 Years | -0.0% |
| 2001 | -5.1 Years | +2.0% |
| 2002 | -5.1 Years | -0.0% |
| 2003 | -5.1 Years | -0.0% |
| 2004 | -5.1 Years | -0.0% |
| 2005 | -5.2 Years | +2.0% |
| 2006 | -5.2 Years | -0.0% |
| 2007 | -5.1 Years | -1.9% |
| 2008 | -5.1 Years | -0.0% |
| 2009 | -5.2 Years | +2.0% |
| 2010 | -5.1 Years | -1.9% |
| 2011 | -5.3 Years | +3.9% |
| 2012 | -5.4 Years | +1.9% |
| 2013 | -5.3 Years | -1.9% |
| 2014 | -5.4 Years | +1.9% |
| 2015 | -5.4 Years | -0.0% |
| 2016 | -5.5 Years | +1.9% |
| 2017 | -5.8 Years | +5.5% |
| 2018 | -5.5 Years | -5.2% |
| 2019 | -5.4 Years | -1.8% |
| 2020 | -5.8 Years | +7.4% |
| 2021 | -5.4 Years | -6.9% |
| 2022 | -5.7 Years | +5.6% |
| 2023 | -5.7 Years | -0.0% |
| 2024 | -5.7 Years | -0.0% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's -5.7 Years is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is -5.95 Years, 96% of the median. (10 countries reporting)
- China's -5.7 Years is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is -5 Years, 1.1× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Life expectancy — Life expectancy difference (male-female) 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 | -27.3% | -3.3 Years | -4.2 Years |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -3.9 Years | -4.3 Years | -2.7 Years | 10 |
| 1970s | -4.09 Years | -4.4 Years | -3.7 Years | 10 |
| 1980s | -4.69 Years | -4.9 Years | -4.5 Years | 10 |
| 1990s | -4.98 Years | -5.2 Years | -4.7 Years | 10 |
| 2000s | -5.12 Years | -5.2 Years | -5 Years | 10 |
| 2010s | -5.41 Years | -5.8 Years | -5.1 Years | 10 |
| 2020s | -5.66 Years | -5.8 Years | -5.4 Years | 5 |
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)
- 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 — life expectancy difference in China?
- Life expectancy — life expectancy difference in China was -5.7 Years in 2024, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest life expectancy — life expectancy difference recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was -2.7 Years in 1960.
- What is the lowest life expectancy — life expectancy difference recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was -5.8 Years in 2017.
- How does China rank for life expectancy — life expectancy difference?
- China ranks 30th out of 41 countries with data for 2024.
- Is life expectancy — life expectancy difference rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Life expectancy — Life expectancy difference (male-female). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
This dataset presents data on life expectancy at birth, and at ages 40, 60, 65 and 80 years old. Please refer to the Sources and Methods for detailed country-specific information.