BEIJING -- China's average life expectancy has reached a record high of 78.6 years, according to a report released Thursday by the National Health Commission.

Maternal mortality has dropped to 15.1 per 100,000, and infant mortality stands at a low of 4.5 per 1,000, says the statistical report on China's health development in 2023.

The report also reveals a steady increase in healthcare resources, with the total number of medical institutions rising to 1,070,785, the number of hospital beds reaching 10.17 million, and healthcare professionals totaling nearly 12.49 million by the end of 2023.

Additionally, medical services have seen significant improvement, with a total of 9.55 billion consultations recorded — an increase of 1.13 billion from the previous year — while the average resident visited medical facilities 6.8 times.