By the end of 2024, the number of medical and health institutions in China had risen to 1.09 million, with over 90% of households now able to reach a health care facility within 15 minutes. [Photo/Xinhua]

Over the coming five years, China has set a definitive national goal of raising its average life expectancy to 80 years. As one of the key targets of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), this move represents more than a statistical ambition; it is a profound benchmark for the nation's overall health and quality of life. The pursuit of this milestone builds upon a remarkable decades-long trend, where the average lifespan in China has seen a steady and impressive increase. 

Data from the National Health Commission shows that China's average life expectancy had risen to 79 years by the end of 2024, up from 77.93 years in 2020, and achieving targets set by the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) ahead of schedule. Prior to this remarkable achievement, World Health Organization data showed that China's healthy life expectancy reached 68.7 years in 2016, surpassing the United States for the first time, indicating that Chinese people not only live longer but also healthier. 

As China maps out its next five-year plan for the years 2026-2030 to further advance its development, United Nations' forecasts reveal that if current trends hold, by 2044 the country could surpass the U.S.'s 82.39-year lifespan and reach 82.4 years. Compared to 1949 when Chinese people lived an average of 35 years, the present figure has more than doubled, and is set to further increase in the coming years. 

So, how did China, which was one of the world's poorest countries during the mid-20th century, manage to turn around its fortunes in just a few decades? 

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949, the country has witnessed a new epoch in its history, especially in the field of health care. More specifically, China witnessed a jump in average life expectancy from around 40 in 1950 to over 70 years in 2000, a feat that took many advanced countries nearly a century to achieve. 

Over seven decades ago, in the face of immense challenges, China embarked on a foundational commitment that placed the well-being of its people at the heart of national development. This people-centered philosophy, encapsulated in the principle of "serving the people wholeheartedly," guided its earliest efforts to build a functional society.

A critical test of this commitment was the stark urban-rural divide in health care access in the country's early years. To address this, China pioneered innovative, grassroots systems tailored to a largely rural and resource-constrained population. The establishment of the rural cooperative medical system, coupled with the deployment of "barefoot doctors" (farmers with basic medical training) created a novel model for primary health care. This system emphasized prevention, community participation and low-cost health care, ultimately gaining recognition worldwide.

The impact was profound. By the 1960s, approximately 90% of China's villages benefited from the cooperative medical framework. While the specific barefoot doctor title was formally retired in 1986 and evolved into the modern "village doctor" role, the program's legacy is undeniable. It succeeded in making significant inroads against rural health care disparity, establishing a grassroots model that drastically enhanced access to essential and affordable medical services for the rural population.

Over the years, China's sustained efforts to scale up investment toward universal health coverage, and to bridge critical health care gaps in underserved and remote communities, including mountainous and island regions, have yielded tangible results. These advances have been a key driver behind the nation's remarkable gains in life expectancy.

In just seven decades, China's average life expectancy rose steadily from around 35 years in 1949, to 57 years in 1957 and 68 years in 1981, reaching 77 years by 2018. To build on this momentum and promote further improvements, China has continued to commit substantial resources toward expanding the coverage of medical and health institutions.

Over the past 40 years, total health care expenditure in China has grown consistently. During this period, increased government funding, supported by complementary private investment, has enabled a significant expansion of the health care system. This has led to the creation of numerous additional health care institutions, particularly at the primary level, strengthening the foundation of accessible health care nationwide.

The network of China's grassroots medical and health institutions has expanded significantly over the past five years in particular, growing from approximately 970,000 to 1.04 million by the end of 2024. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, this total includes 33,000 town and township health centers, 37,000 community health service centers, 398,000 clinics and 571,000 village clinics. Today, these institutions handle more than half of all medical care visits in the country.

Playing a central role in China's health care system, grassroots institutions do more than provide essential medical services to the majority of the population. They also act as key hubs for health education, preventive care and the delivery of modern medical facilities to remote and underserved communities across the nation.

In 1949, China's medical system had severely limited resources. It was composed of only 3,670 institutions, 541,000 health workers and 85,000 hospital beds. Today, it has grown into the largest health care network in the world. By the end of 2024, the number of medical and health institutions in China had risen to 1.09 million, with over 90% of households now able to reach a health care facility within 15 minutes.

The sustained improvement in the health of the Chinese people is the result of the nation's long-term vision and commitment to health care. Reaching an average life expectancy of almost 80 years would not mean just hitting an arbitrary number; it would represent a significant step toward realizing the Healthy China initiative. Continued investment and systematic reforms will help China continue extending life expectancy in the country and ensure broader and more equitable health services for all. 

Alexander Ayertey Odonkor is a global economist with a keen interest in the social, environmental, and economic landscapes of developed countries, emerging markets, and developing economies, particularly in the Asia-Pacific, Africa, Europe and North America.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.