Is half of Chinese males living less than 67.7 years? Recently, the mainland internet has been circulating the “theory of short lifespan of Chinese males”; some even claim that women live 12 years longer than men. Various statements have caused anxiety.
However, investigations reveal that this data is actually AI-generated and has been repeatedly cited by mainland self-media, forming a “logical loop”. Experts point out that the “median age of death” is not a commonly used demographic indicator, while the more valuable “average life expectancy” has reached 79.25 years.
The rumor about “67.7 years” spread rapidly on social platforms and claimed that “Chinese women live 12 years longer than men”. Many self-media claimed the data came from the National Bureau of Statistics, UN population reports, or the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, presenting the data as authoritative.
However, according to the National Bureau of Statistics’ seventh national census data, only age group statistics are published, and the median age of death for men falls between 70 to 74 years, making it impossible to be precise to the unit. The United Nations’ “2024 World Population Prospects” also shows that the median age of death for Chinese men in 2023 is 73 years, consistent with the Bureau’s data.
So where does the “67.7 years” come from?
Domestic media queried Deepseek and found the question “What is the median age of death for Chinese males?”, which yielded a response from official data sources, stating, “The median age of death for Chinese males in 2024 is 67.7 years.” Upon further inquiry for search sources, it was discovered that AI’s basis was precisely those self-media articles. Both parties referenced each other, forming a logical loop.
Deepseek previously displayed that, according to official data, the median age of death for Chinese males in 2024 is 67.7 years.
Professor Peng Xizhe, director of the Population and Development Policy Research Center at Fudan University, pointed out that the “median age of death” is not commonly seen in population research, while the “average life expectancy” is a more valuable indicator. The average life expectancy refers to the average number of years a person born that year is expected to survive based on death probabilities among various age groups, eliminating the impact of age structure, and more accurately reflecting the expected lifespan. According to data from the National Health Commission, the average life expectancy of Chinese residents continues to rise and is expected to reach 79.25 years by 2025.
By 2025, data from the National Health Commission indicates that the average life expectancy of Chinese people continues to rise, already reaching 79.25 years.
The “Beijing News” commented that the so-called “67.7 years” rumor reveals a novel rumor generation mechanism in the era of large models: self-media obtains hard-to-distinguish information from AI large models for citation and creation, and after publishing content, it feeds back into the large model, becoming training material. As the materials provided by the large model may be inaccurate or illusory, if self-media does not screen carefully, content production can result in information inaccuracies. This “large model + self-media” mixed-type rumor is more confusing; it appears to have been seriously considered but is actually sourced from contaminated origins, piecing together half-truths and half-falsities.
The commentary emphasizes that this is a form of “deep forgery” in the era of deep search, where seemingly serious content makes it hard to distinguish between truth and falsehood, leading to widespread dissemination of rumors, creating unnecessary anxiety and misunderstandings. In an age filled with popular terms such as large models and algorithms in the public opinion arena, the low cost of chasing trends can lead to high costs. Creators need to hold a sense of awe towards technology, and ordinary netizens should also improve their digital literacy, not easily relinquishing independent thinking to machines.