China has made significant progress in primary healthcare, medical service accessibility, childcare and life expectancy, Lei Haichao, head of the National Health Commission, said on Saturday at a press conference held on the sidelines of the annual session of the top legislature.
Lei presented key statistics on China's health progress during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).
"The first figure is 52.6 percent, indicating the share of patient visits to primary healthcare institutions in China's total patient visits. According to statistics, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, patient visits at primary healthcare facilities continued to rise, and their proportion in the overall service system also kept increasing," he said.
"The second figure is 15 minutes, which refers to the time it takes for patients to travel from home to the nearest medical facility, reflecting the greatly improved accessibility of medical services in China," Lei said.
By the end of 2025, the country had established 1.1 million medical institutions, with total health personnel exceeding 16 million. Licensed and assistant doctors numbered 5.29 million, while registered nurses surpassed 6.03 million, he said.
"The third figure is 10,800 yuan (about 1,566 U.S. dollars). This refers to the annual childcare subsidy provided by the state for eligible infants born on or after Jan 1, 2022. The monthly subsidy is 300 yuan (about 44 U.S. dollars), totaling 10,800 yuan over three years," Lei said.
China introduced a nationwide childcare subsidy program in July 2025, as part of broader efforts to support families and encourage childbirth. The program offers families 3,600 yuan (about 522 U.S. dollars) per year for each child under the age of three.
According to the top health official, more than 33 million Chinese families with infants under the age of three have received childcare subsidies. Moreover, the number of inclusive childcare slots have increased significantly nationwide, and childcare services have continued to improve.
"The last figure is 79.25 years. This is the average life expectancy of China's population in 2025, an increase of 1.32 years from 2020, or an average annual rise of 0.26 years," Lei said.
The fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress opened on Thursday and is scheduled to run till March 12.
China advances healthcare, childcare, elderly care services in past five years
