China's average life expectancy reached 79 years in 2024, a senior health official said on Sunday, citing the latest data.

The average life expectancy in China increased by 0.4 years from 2023, Lei Haichao, head of the National Health Commission, told the press on the sidelines of the annual national legislative session.

This means China has achieved, ahead of schedule, its goal of raising its average life expectancy, which was set out in a national health plan for the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), Lei said.

According to the plan, the country aims to increase its 2020 life expectancy figure by about one year over the five-year period.

In 2024, China's life expectancy ranked fourth among 53 upper-middle-income countries and 10th among G20 countries, and surpassed the levels of 21 high-income countries, Lei added.

He attributed the rise to a series of strategies that prioritize health, including the Healthy China initiative, as well as Chinese people's healthy lifestyles and the influence of traditional culture.

According to Lei, the average life expectancy in eight well-off municipalities and provinces — Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Hainan — has exceeded 80 years.

He also said that disparities in health levels among provincial regions are gradually decreasing, indicating that health equity is improving steadily.

The health official said that while China still faces challenges from both infectious and chronic non-communicable diseases, there remains significant potential to increase life expectancy.