In October, the CPC Central Committee and State Council issued its "Healthy China 2030” blueprint, indicating that people's physical fitness will markedly increase, along with life expectancy reaching 79 years in 2030.

A life expectancy of 79 years in 2030 means a child born in 2030 is expected to live 79 years. This estimated figure is based on current population and environmental data that reflects China’s current social and economic development, as well as health care quality.

According to World Health Organization (WHO) data, 71.4 years was the average life expectancy at birth of the global population in 2015, while China stands at 76.1 years. The country with the highest life expectancy is Japan at 83.7 years; the country with the lowest is Sierra Leone at just 50.1 years.

The average life expectancy for Chinese people has raised 32.64 years from 1960 to 2015, marking a 75% hike, based on World Bank data.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the average life expectancy for Beijing and Shanghai residents in 2010 was over 80 years, far ahead of other provinces in the country. Twenty-six provinces (or cities, regions) in China exceeded 70 years. For the Qinghai Province, Yunnan Province, and Tibet Autonomous Region, it ranged from 68 to 70. The difference between Shanghai, the highest, and Tibet, the lowest, is 12.09 years.Out of the top 15 highest provinces (or cities, regions), 13 belong to eastern or southern coastal area, while the lowest are inland provinces.

What affects life expectancy?

According to the GHO, indicators to measure life expectancy include gross national income per capita, total fertility rate (per woman), alcohol consumption among adults aged over 15 years, leprosy – number of reported cases, number of neonatal deaths, population living in urban areas, population median age, psychiatrist working in mental health sector, and etc.

Brighter people live longer?

A study by Rosalind Arden, Research Associate at London School of Economics & Political Science, analyzes the causes for a link between intelligence and longer lifespan. It noted that many previous studies have found this correlation, but that distinguishing the direction of the causality in this relationship is difficult. Common causes posited include socioeconomic status affecting both intelligence and life expectancy, higher intelligence causing more healthy behavior choices, and shared genetic factors influencing both intelligence and health. By analyzing three data sets of twins from the US, Sweden and Denmark, they concluded that the small association between being brighter and living longer was mostly genetic in origin.