China's child death rate (under-five mortality) has significantly decreased, standing at approximately 6.2 to 6.8 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022-2023, down from higher rates in previous years, with infant mortality around 4-5 deaths per 1,000, showing major improvements but still highlighting disparities between rural/urban areas. Key causes now include injuries, congenital issues, and preterm birth complications, rather than infectious diseases.
China infant mortality rate for 2023 was 4.50, a 6.25% decline from 2022. China infant mortality rate for 2022 was 4.80, a 5.88% decline from 2021.
Countries with the highest child mortality rates worldwide 2023. All countries of the 20 countries worldwide with the highest number of children under the age of five dying per 1,000 live births were found in Sub-Saharan Africa, with Niger, Nigeria, and Somalia topping the list.
The number one killer in the world is cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart disease and stroke, responsible for about one-third of all global deaths, claiming nearly 18-20 million lives annually, and remains the leading cause across all regions, according to WHO and World Heart Federation. While COVID-19 caused significant deaths in recent years, CVD has consistently held the top spot for decades, with increases seen globally, especially in younger populations.
For the first time, Chinese people can expect to be healthy longer than Americans, according to the most recent data from the World Health Organization, even though Americans are still expected to live about two years longer than Chinese citizens.
Life expectancy in China 1960-2050
In the world's most populous country, life expectancy has been continuously rising over the last decades, benefitting greatly from China's economic ascendance. In 2022, average life expectancy at birth in China reached about 78.6 years.
Life expectancy for the U.S. population in 2023 was 78.4 years, an increase of 0.9 year from 2022. The age-adjusted death rate decreased by 6.0% from 798.8 deaths per 100,000 standard population in 2022 to 750.5 in 2023.
Top 10 Countries with the Highest Life Expectancy
Accidents account for nearly one-half of all teenage deaths. As a category of accidents, motor vehicle fatality is the leading cause of death to teenagers, representing over one-third of all deaths. Among teenagers, non-Hispanic black males have the highest death rate (94.1 deaths per 100,000 population).
Globally, infectious diseases, including pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria, remain a leading cause of under-five deaths, along with preterm birth and intrapartum-related complications. The global under-five mortality rate declined by 61 per cent, from 94 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 37 in 2023.
Eight children died on the planes during the 9/11 attacks, the youngest being 2-year-old Christine Lee Hanson on Flight 175, with other victims including young siblings on Flight 77 and Flight 93; more significantly, over 3,000 children were left without a parent due to the attacks.
The decline in birth rate is due to societal changes including increasing standard of living. Although the Chinese government has recently allowed couples to have up to three children in a major policy shift, many couples remain unwilling to have more than one child due to the high cost.
Infant mortality rates are often used as an indicator of the health and well-being of a nation. Monaco, Iceland, and Japan are among the top three countries with the lowest infant mortality rates with around 2 infant deaths per 1,000 infants within their first year of life.
This chart shows trends in Chinese birth and death rates (per 1,000 capita) since 1985, illustrating the recent collapse of birth numbers and the start of China's total population decline—when deaths outnumber births—in 2022.
The top three leading causes of death in the United States are now: Heart disease. Cancer. Preventable Injury.
The participants were monitored until they died or turned 90. At the end of the study, about 16% of the men and about 34% of the women survived to the age of 90. In fact, the authors found women who were taller than 5 feet 9 inches were 31% more likely to reach 90, compared to those who were under 5 feet 3 inches.
India death rate for 2023 was 6.61, a 0.53% increase from 2022. India death rate for 2022 was 6.58, a 28.98% decline from 2021.
Vascular disease and cancer have become the leading causes of death among Chinese adults. Our findings suggest that control of hypertension, smoking cessation, increased physical activity, and improved nutrition should be important strategies for reducing the burden of premature death among adults in China.
About 90% (actually closer to 94%) of China's population lives in the eastern half of the country, east of the Heihe-Tengchong Line, in fertile plains with major cities and economic centers, while the vast, mountainous western half (57% of the land) holds only about 6% of the people due to harsh terrain and climate.
Its latest figures, which are from 2016 but were only uploaded last month, show that the US healthy life expectancy is 68.5, and in China is 68.7. That means Chinese people get 73 days, or around 10 weeks, of extra healthy life.
China's "3-hour rule" for minors restricts children under 18 to playing online video games for only three hours per week, specifically from 8 PM to 9 PM on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, to combat gaming addiction and improve health. Implemented by the National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) in 2021, the rule mandates gaming companies use real-name verification and facial recognition to enforce limits, though some children bypass it using adult accounts.
The three recent Ipsos happiness surveys conducted in August 2020, December 2021, and January 2023, revealed that 93 percent, 83 percent, and 91 percent of Chinese respondents were happy, respectively, ranking first, third, and first among all polled countries and regions.
Though protein is essential, South Asia has much more vegetarianism than people might believe and eats less meat than their Western counterparts, leading to less protein intake overall.