Living to 79: China’s record longevity puts economic wrinkles in focus

China’s average life expectancy hit a record 79 years in 2024, edging closer to developed-nation levels as the country grapples with a deepening demographic crisis and scrambles to improve aged-care resources.

In discussing the all-time high, which broke the 2023 record of 78.6 years, National Health Commission (NHC) head Lei Haichao reiterated on Monday that the country’s newborns should be expected to live an average of 80 years by 2030 – a key metric in President Xi Jinping’s “Healthy China” blueprint.

Speaking at the Understanding China Conference in Guangzhou, Lei noted that life expectancy during China’s 14th five-year plan period, which ends this year, increased by more than 0.2 years annually, “achieving strong health outcomes with relatively modest resource inputs”.

The new high underscores China’s significant advancements in extending life. It also puts the country among the top upper-middle-income nations and narrows the gap with the European Union, where preliminary data indicates that life expectancy at birth in the bloc rose to 81.7 years in 2024, which would be an increase of 0.3 years from 2023.

In comparison, member countries in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) enjoyed an average life expectancy at birth of 81.05 years in 2023, according to the most recent data. With 38 members, the global forum promotes policies to improve social and economic well-being around the world. Although China is not a member, it is considered a “key partner”.

The United States, an OECD member, had a life expectancy at birth of 78.4 years in 2023.

Meanwhile, China’s longevity milestone underscores the urgency of its demographic challenges. Longer lives, coupled with record-low birth rates, threaten to strain pension systems, healthcare services and social safety nets.

South China Morning Post