Chinese life expectancy rises to 76.7 years

BEIJING -- The life expectancy of Chinese rose to 76.7 years in 2017, according to government statistics.

The infant mortality rate has decreased to 6.8 deaths per 1,000 live births, while the maternal mortality rate dropped to 19.6 per 100,000 births, said a statistics communique released by the National Health Commission.

"The main health indicators for the Chinese as a whole are above average in upper-middle income countries," it said.

China has seen a rising life expectancy for its people over the years: from 74.83 years in 2010, to 76.34 years in 2015, to 76.7 years in 2017. The rise is attributed to improved public health work, disease control and prevention, medical services, childbirth care and traditional Chinese medicine.

The communique reported notable progress in healthcare reform as medical bills, especially spending on medicine, has dropped across the board. Meanwhile, more people seek treatment at primary-level clinics as the tiered diagnosis and treatment model gained traction.