Improved awareness on health grows life expectancy

Life expectancy in China has increased by over 0.6 of a year to 77.93 years as health awareness and access to fitness facilities have been greatly increased in recent years, authorities said on Tuesday.

Mao Qun'an, director of the National Health Commission's department of planning and information, said that China ranks high among upper-middle-income countries in terms of key health indicators.

"The health literacy rate has risen to 25.4 percent, and 37.2 percent of Chinese people regularly take part in physical exercise," he said during a news conference.