The Nationwide Impact of Injury-related Deaths on Average Life Expectancy in China

To expand the evidence base to inform future public policy aimed at accident prevention, we investigated the impact of different categories of injury on average life expectancy in China. We used data from the National Death Cause Registration Information System and National Maternity and Children Health Surveillance databases, as well as 2010 population data from the National Bureau of Statistics. We then calculated the average life expectancy of the Chinese population, in addition to life expectancy after eliminating injury-related mortality. The average life expectancy of the Chinese population in 2010 was 74.93 years. After eliminating deaths due to injuries, the fourth leading cause of mortality in China, average life expectancy increased by 1.36 years. When this was broken down by population sub-groups, these gains were 1.76 and 0.79 years in men and women, 0.94 and 1.56 years in urban and rural residents, and 1.11, 1.30, and 1.67 years for residents in the Eastern, Central and Western regions respectively. After eliminating all categories of injury, the average life expectancy of the Chinese population was found to increase by 1.36 years. This figure was higher for males and residents of rural areas and Western China.