China has built the world's largest basic health insurance system: 1.33 billion people covered
The health of a nation is not just statistics of hospitals and doctors but the foundation of sustainable development and social stability. When a state puts the health of its citizens first, it invests in a future that cannot be measured by economic indicators alone. China has chosen this path and in a decade has created one of the most extensive medical protection systems in the world.
Over the past decade, China has created the world's largest basic medical insurance network, which, according to official data, will cover more than 1.33 billion people by the end of 2025. The country is advancing the "Healthy China" Initiative, implementing a strategy that puts health first and aims to improve public health, and has achieved significant success.
The number of medical institutions in China has grown from about 926,500 in 2016 to more than 1.1 million by the end of 2025, and the number of primary healthcare workers has also increased — from nearly 3.7 million in 2016 to more than 5.4 million in 2025. China has also strengthened healthcare in rural areas: more than 64,000 medical students enrolled in a free programme are now working in rural medical centres. In addition, by the end of 2025, China had more than 35,000 family doctor teams serving 580 million people under contract.
As reported by CCTV+, these achievements are the result of consistent government policy aimed at providing accessible medical care for all citizens, regardless of where they live. China will continue to strengthen its healthcare system to bring the nation's health to a qualitatively new level by the end of the decade.
