Stark Inequalities Shown With Rising Life Expectancy in China
People practice tai chi in Shanghai. In richer areas such as Shanghai, women lived until 85.2 and men 80.2 -- comparable to countries such as Japan or France, where life expectancy is among the highest in the world. The figures were about 10 years lower for both sexes in other provinces such as some in the west of the country.
Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/BloombergLife expectancy in China rose by an average of 8.5 years from 1990, though stark discrepancies remain between provinces, according to a study that examined regional differences in health standards.
The higher life expectancy was accompanied by a 25-fold increase in per capita income, according to a study published Monday in the medical journal The Lancet. In most provinces, reductions in diarrhea and other infectious diseases helped delay premature death.