In a significant achievement, China’s health literacy rate climbed to 31.87% in 2024, reflecting a year-on-year increase of over two percentage points, as per the National Health Commission. This milestone means that nearly one-third of China’s population now possesses basic health knowledge and essential skills—a remarkable growth from just 8.8% in 2012.
This steady improvement has been attributed to heightened public interest in personal health, growing demand for health education, and sustained efforts by the government to expand health awareness campaigns. Importantly, the gap between urban and rural areas has narrowed, with cities reporting a literacy rate of 34.74% compared to 29.11% in rural regions. Although central and western provinces still lag behind the eastern region, the discrepancy is shrinking.
The survey, which assessed approximately 71,800 participants aged 15 to 69 across 31 regions, evaluated their understanding of essential health topics such as cancer screening, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and other safety-first aid measures. Findings revealed that safety and first aid knowledge had the highest literacy rate, nearing 62%, while awareness of chronic and infectious diseases remained lower at around 30%.
To further enhance public health knowledge, the government has implemented a multi-year action plan, aiming to boost health literacy rates by two percentage points annually from 2024 to 2027. This plan emphasizes increasing access to health education materials, combating online misinformation, and holding individuals accountable for spreading false health information.
With this renewed focus, health literacy is being championed as the most cost-effective and impactful way to improve overall public health outcomes.
