BEIJING -- China's child health status has continued to improve in recent years, said a health official on Friday.

In 2024, the national infant mortality rate and under-5 mortality rate dropped to 4 per 1,000 and 5.6 per 1,000 respectively, hitting record lows and ranking among the top in upper-middle-income countries globally, Shen Haiping, a senior official with the National Health Commission, told a press conference.

Examining global trends over the past decade, China's average annual rate of decline in infant mortality and under-5 mortality ranked third and fourth, respectively, among 53 upper-middle-income countries globally, Shen said.

Between 2010 and 2023, China's average life expectancy increased by 3.8 years, with 21.7 percent of this increase attributable to the decline in the under-5 mortality rate, she added.