China's Life Expectancy Catches Up to US

Chinese citizens are now living as long as Americans, reaching a milestone nearly two decades earlier than experts had forecast, according to official data. Life expectancy in China has risen sharply in recent decades, driven by improvements in nutrition, sanitation, access to clean water and expanded healthcare as the country's economy has grown.

By contrast, the United States now lags behind most developed countries in life expectancy, weighed down by the rise of lifestyle-related diseases and the ongoing opioid epidemic.

By the end of 2024, average life expectancy in China reached 79 years for the first time, according to health authorities who shared the figure at a September 11 press conference on achievements made during the current five-year plan, set by the Chinese Communist Party in 2021.

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