By Special Correspondent

China has set a target to increase the average life expectancy of its population to around 80 years during the 15th Five-Year Plan period from 2026 to 2030.

Lei Haichao, head of China’s National Health Commission, said the country’s average life expectancy reached 79.25 years in 2025, reflecting steady improvement in public health and healthcare services. The figure represents an increase of 1.32 years compared to 2020.

Speaking at a press conference held on the sidelines of the annual session of the country’s top legislature in Beijing, Lei described the past five years as a period of significant progress for China’s healthcare sector.

He said policies prioritizing grassroots healthcare services had played an important role in expanding access to medical treatment. As a result, primary-level healthcare institutions handled 52.6 percent of all medical diagnosis and treatment nationwide in 2025.

According to the official, the healthcare system has continued to expand across both urban and rural areas, ensuring broader availability of services. More healthcare workers are now serving communities across the country.

Lei said over 90 percent of the population can reach their nearest healthcare facility within a 15-minute walk, highlighting improvements in accessibility of basic medical services.

By the end of 2025, China had more than 1.1 million medical and healthcare institutions and over 16 million healthcare workers. The expansion of healthcare resources has helped improve the fairness and accessibility of basic medical services for the country’s population of 1.4 billion people.

Looking ahead, he said China will continue its efforts to strengthen primary-level healthcare services and improve specialized services, including paediatrics, mental health, general practice, and rehabilitation nursing.

The government also plans to expand the use of mobile medical teams, telemedicine, and online consultations to further improve public access to healthcare services.

Lei said China will deepen reforms in the healthcare system and strengthen public health security capacity as part of its future plans.

In addition to improving healthcare domestically, China will continue to provide assistance to developing countries within its capacity. He said China will support countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative in improving their health services through cooperation in technology and personnel training.

China will also enhance exchanges and cooperation with the international community, promote traditional Chinese medicine globally, and encourage mutual learning among different traditional medical systems.

Efforts are also underway to enrich medicinal plant resources and treatment approaches to better address global public health challenges.

Credit: INP-WealthPk