The health literacy of urban and rural residents in China has been steadily rising over the past year, according to a national survey released by the National Health and Family Planning Commission on Nov 21.

Health literacy refers to the ability to obtain, read, understand, and use healthcare information in order to make appropriate health decisions and follow instructions for treatment.

In 2016, the average level of health literacy in China reached 11.58 percent, an increase of 1.33 percentage points compared to 2015.

In regards to the percentage of people (aged from 15 to 69) having the basic knowledge and theory concerning health, the monitoring result was 24 percent. As for the healthy lifestyle and behavior, and fundamental skills, the numbers were 9.79 percent and 15.57 percent respectively.

It is one of the major indicators of Healthy China 2030, a blueprint for the future of China's healthcare system that was announced in October 2016.

The result also shows that the overall level of health literacy in China is relatively low, and it is unbalanced between urban and rural areas, different regions and different groups of people.

The survey was launched in 2008. In 2016, it covered 336 monitoring points from 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities.