China's population is living longer and healthier than ever, with major health indicators reaching record highs, Minister of the National Health Commission Lei Haichao said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a symposium in Beijing on ensuring the health of the people and building a Healthy China, Lei said that, compared with the rest of the world, the health of the Chinese people is ahead of the country's level of economic development.
Average life expectancy in China reached 79.25 years last year, an increase of 3.85 years since 2012. The figure ranks China third among the world's 16 countries each with a population of more than 100 million.
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China's health literacy rate has also continued to improve, rising by nearly 2 percentage points annually to reach 33.69 percent last year.
Health indicators among children and adolescents have also improved. From 2021 to last year, the average height of young people aged 6 to 17 increased by 2.1 centimeters for males and 2.2 centimeters for females. The upward trend in overweight and obesity among children under age 6 has been effectively curbed, while nationwide eye health and vision screening coverage for children aged 0 to 6 reached 95.8 percent, Lei said.
"People are placing greater value on quality of life and health. Health needs are growing and becoming more diverse. The focus has shifted from passive, illness-driven care to a lifelong approach to health," Lei said.
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"People no longer just want access to good medical treatment. They want to stay healthy, get sick less and enjoy more convenient healthcare," he added.
Despite the progress, Lei acknowledged that significant challenges remain. Imbalances and inadequacies are still evident in the health sector, with healthcare resources — particularly the overall supply of health professionals — remaining insufficient and unevenly distributed.
To lay the groundwork for building a Healthy China by 2035, the country will establish a high-quality and efficient healthcare delivery system, he said.
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"We will tailor the distribution of primary healthcare facilities to local conditions and expand traveling medical services, mobile clinics and telemedicine, with the goal of creating robust 15-minute primary care circles," Lei said.
He added that in 2026, the country will carry forward 10 practical initiatives to improve public well-being. These include adding pediatric services at 1,000 primary-level healthcare institutions, expanding outpatient mental health services to 110 more counties, ensuring all counties with populations of more than 60,000 can provide hemodialysis services, creating 150,000 new subsidized childcare places, and providing free human papillomavirus vaccinations for girls as they turn 13.
