Ministry of Health: Death Rate Cut in China

According to latest statistics released by China's Ministry of Health, the death rates both in urban and rural areas last year have dropped substantially compared with the previous year, adding that a higher male death rate is noted than female while that of rural areas exceeds urban areas.

Last year, the death rates in urban and rural areas are 5.88¡ë and 6.06¡ë respectively, against 6.16¡ë and 6.02¡ë in 1998.

Statistics also show that the death rate of male is nearly 1¡ë than female either in urban or rural areas. The death rate in megapolis takes about 6.21¡ë, against 4.7¡ë in medium- and small-sized cities and the death rate in relatively rich rural areas is higher than economically undeveloped.

From the perspective of death age, the numbers of dead at age over 65 in urban and rural areas account for 70% and 60%, but the death rate of children under 5 in rural areas has obviously surpassed that in urban areas.

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