Chinese students higher, stronger: survey

BEIJING, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- The physical fitness and health of Chinese students has seen an overall improvement since 2014, the Ministry of Education said on Friday at a press conference.

There is an upward trend in their physical morphological indexes, such as height, body mass and bust size; an overall growth in the vital capacity of their lungs; a reversal of the trend in their body resilience, strength, speed and endurance; and a continuous improvement in their nutrient intake, said the ministry, quoting a nationwide survey held in 2019.

Take height for example. Over the five years since 2014, the height of boys increased 1.26 cm in the age group of 10 to 12 and 1.69 cm in the age group of 13 to 15.

The figures are 1.24 cm and 0.97 cm, respectively, among their female counterparts in the same age groups.

China conducted the eighth nationwide survey of physical fitness and health among its students from elementary school through college and university.