Life expectancy in Shanghai rises to 83.63 years

The average life expectancy of registered Shanghai residents has grown 10 years during the past four decades to reach 83.63 years in 2018, a level commonly seen in the world's developed countries or regions.

According to a report released by the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission on Feb 14, the average life expectancy in Shanghai is 81.25 years and 86.08 years for men and women respectively.

Compared with 2017, the maternal mortality rate for Shanghai residents dropped from 3.01 per 100,000 people to 1.15 per 100,000 people last year. Meanwhile, the infant mortality rate decreased to 3.52 per thousand people.

The commission said that, based on these three indicators, Shanghai has been ranked among top cities around the world for more than 10 consecutive years.

Life expectancy, infant mortality rate and maternal mortality rate are three most frequently used indicators by the World Health Organization to measure the health conditions in a region.

Among the three, life expectancy, as a scientific measure of the average time one is expected to live, is the most direct and accurate index that reveals the social, health care and economic conditions in a city or a country.

Across China, the average life expectancy rose from 35 years in the 1940s to 76.5 years in 2016. The country is aiming to hit 77.3 by 2020 and 79 by 2030, according to the Healthy China 2030 blueprint released in 2016.