CVD remains the leading cause of death in China, accounting for approximately 2 in every 5 deaths, with absolute case and death numbers continuing to rise despite declining age-standardized mortality rates due to population aging and high prevalence of risk factors.
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death among both urban and rural residents in China.
The age-standardized CVD mortality rate has declined in China, but absolute numbers of CVD cases and deaths continue to rise.
In 2024, the crude incidence rate of CVD among Chinese residents aged 18 years and above was 639.46 per 100,000 population.
CVD mortality rates in rural areas of China have consistently remained higher than in urban areas.
The Healthy China Action Plan (2019–2030) has set a target to reduce cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease mortality to below 190.7 per 100,000 population by 2030.
The report identifies multiple modifiable risk factors and monitoring priorities central to CVD prevention in China.
This research summarizes the state of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in China as of 2025. Heart and blood vessel diseases remain the number one cause of death in China, responsible for nearly half of all deaths in both cities and rural areas. In 2021, about 2 out of every 5 deaths in China were caused by CVD. While the rate of CVD deaths adjusted for age has been improving, the actual total number of people dying from or living with CVD is still going up, largely because China's population is getting older and many people still have risk factors like high blood pressure, unhealthy diets, and tobacco use. The research also highlights that people living in rural areas of China face higher CVD death rates than those in cities, a gap that has persisted over time. In 2024, nearly 640 out of every 100,000 adults in China were newly diagnosed with CVD, and men were affected at higher rates than women. China's national health plan has set a goal to bring the death rate from heart and brain diseases below 190.7 per 100,000 people by 2030, which will require sustained effort. This research suggests that reaching China's health goals will require shifting focus from treating disease after it occurs to preventing it in the first place. The report recommends better tracking of lifestyle and health indicators — including smoking, diet, exercise, sleep, weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and environmental factors — across the population. Addressing these upstream risk factors and reducing the rural-urban gap in care could be critical to bending the curve on CVD deaths in the coming decades.
(2026). Report on Cardiovascular Health and Diseases in China 2025: An Updated Summary.. Biomedical and environmental sciences : BES. https://doi.org/10.3967/bes2026.073