Wenyi Zhang
Research expert covering Greater China
Children's health in China - statistics & facts
While the annual number of births in China dropped significantly over the last two decades, the country is still home to more than 200 million children. Ensuring the healthy upbringing of these children whilst maximizing their prospects remains one of the major challenges in the Chinese society.
With the country's expanding economy and ever-improving living standards, the health status of Chinese children has improved significantly in recent years. Newborns and young children in China now enjoy lower mortality rates and higher nutrition levels. With better coverage of pediatric care and the improvement in the quality of healthcare services, many serious diseases that have long been threatening the health and well-being of Chinese children have also been successfully brought under control. Nevertheless, children's lack of participation in sports, the significant gap in pediatric medical services between urban and rural areas, and the lack of research and development of domestic pediatric drugs still leave room for improvement in the state of health of Chinese children.
More than eight percent of children under five are overweight, making China one of the most susceptible to the problem in the Asia Pacific region. At the same time, Chinese children are exposed to a chronic lack of physical activity. Due to the enormous pressure in education and the higher exposure to electronic devices, a significant proportion failed to commit even one hour of sports time outside of regular school hours, while physical education classes in schools were often occupied by other lessons of subjects.
There remains, however, a considerable gap in the quality of services between urban and rural areas, as most children's hospitals and high-tier general hospitals are still concentrated in provincial capitals and large, affluent urban centers. Children in rural China tend to have poorer access to better healthcare services, causing the mortality rates for many pediatric illnesses to be consistently higher in the countryside.
Higher nutrition level, lack of physical activities
The overall state of nutrition among Chinese children has reached a level comparable to that of an advanced economy, with malnutrition among Chinese children dropping significantly in the past decades. Children's average height, weight, chest circumference, and lung capacity have been increasing continuously, while obesity levels also became a prevalent issue in the country.More than eight percent of children under five are overweight, making China one of the most susceptible to the problem in the Asia Pacific region. At the same time, Chinese children are exposed to a chronic lack of physical activity. Due to the enormous pressure in education and the higher exposure to electronic devices, a significant proportion failed to commit even one hour of sports time outside of regular school hours, while physical education classes in schools were often occupied by other lessons of subjects.
Improvements in pediatric health services
In response to the rising demand, the funding for the pediatric healthcare sector in China has increased substantially in the last decade. Between 2015 and 2021, the number of children's hospitals in the country grew by nearly a third, while the number of pediatric beds and staff in general hospitals also saw significant expansions. The improvement in medical services has enabled the effective control of diseases such as neonatal tetanus and neonatal septicemia, which previously caused a high number of child fatalities in China.There remains, however, a considerable gap in the quality of services between urban and rural areas, as most children's hospitals and high-tier general hospitals are still concentrated in provincial capitals and large, affluent urban centers. Children in rural China tend to have poorer access to better healthcare services, causing the mortality rates for many pediatric illnesses to be consistently higher in the countryside.
