Life Expectancy in China (2024): Men 75.2, Women 81.0

Life expectancy in China since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in China has risen by 44.6 years, from 33.4 to 78.0. Women live 5.8 years longer than men (81.0 vs 75.2).

Expected age at death in China by age

Life expectancy at birth includes deaths in childhood. Once people reach adulthood they can expect to live longer — here is the average expected age at death for people who have already reached each age:

Current age	Birth	20	40	60	80
Men	75.2	76.2	77.0	79.2	86.3
Women	81.0	82.0	82.8	84.3	89.4

Birth: World Bank. Other ages: our survival model calibrated to China’s figures (method).

How people die in China

Chronic diseases: 90.2%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 3.5%
Injuries: 6.3%

In 2019, 90% of deaths in China were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A China man has a 20% chance and a woman 12% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 17.4 people per 100,000 each year (world: 16.7).

See which causes of death are most likely for you →

Child mortality

Out of every 1,000 babies born in China, about 5.7 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

China compared with its region

China is in the World Bank’s East Asia & Pacific region, where the average life expectancy is 74.1 years. It ranks #11 of 37 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
7	Australia	83.1	81.1	85.1
8	New Zealand	82.0	80.4	83.7
9	New Caledonia	78.9	76.5	81.4
10	Northern Mariana Islands	78.9	77.3	80.9
11	China	78.0	75.2	81.0
12	Guam	77.4	73.7	81.6
13	Malaysia	76.8	74.4	79.5
14	Thailand	76.6	72.3	81.0
15	Brunei	75.5	73.5	77.7

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in China?

78.0 years in 2024: 75.2 for men and 81.0 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in China?

Yes. Women in China live about 5.8 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does China rank for life expectancy?

China ranks #70 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 4.5 years above the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in China?

Life expectancy at birth (78.0) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in China can expect to live to about 77.0, and a 40-year-old woman to about 82.8.

Sources

World Bank, World Development Indicators: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN), under-5 mortality (SH.DYN.MORT), causes of death (SH.DTH.NCOM.ZS, SH.DTH.INJR.ZS), mortality from major chronic diseases (SH.DYN.NCOM.MA.ZS, SH.DYN.NCOM.FE.ZS) and road traffic deaths (SH.STA.TRAF.P5). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Link

Data updated October 25, 2026.