(Yicai) March 9 -- Seven of the 20, or more than a third, of the development targets laid out in the draft outline of China’s next Five-Year Plan are related to people's livelihoods, including employment, incomes, education, and healthcare.

Average life expectancy will increase to 80 years between 2026 and 2031 from 79.25 years in the five years ended 2025, according to the draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for national economic and social development submitted to the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress for review on March 5.

The share of nursing-care beds in elderly care institutions will rise to 73 percent from 68 percent in the period, the preschool enrollment rate for children under three will rise by 6 percentage points, and the number of practicing doctors and registered nurses per 1,000 people will reach 3.7 and 5.1, respectively, per the draft.

These targets focus on addressing the public’s most pressing concerns, with the aim of improving healthcare services and expanding the supply of elderly care and childcare, said Huang Qunhui, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Continuous improvements in these objectives will help people enjoy better, healthier, and higher-quality lives, Huang added.

The draft outline aims to increase the average years of education for the labor force to 11.7 years compared with 11.3 in the previous five-year period, as well as enhance the quality of basic education while both improving and enhancing that of higher education, according to Liu Dechun, director of the social development department at the National Development and Reform Commission.

In the area of social security, the plan seeks to expand the coverage of unemployment and work-related injury insurance, gradually increase the basic pension for urban and rural residents, and improve the occupational injury protection system, Liu added. Moreover, it aims to enhance insurance participation rates among flexible and migrant workers as well as individuals in new forms of employment.

GDP Targeting Shift

The draft outline for the 15th Five-Year Plan did not set an economic growth target for the period, proposing instead to set growth targets for gross domestic product annually. This move sparked a lively discussion among deputies attending the Two Sessions -- the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference -- the country’s two key annual policy setting meetings.

The draft proposes keeping GDP growth within a reasonable range and setting annual targets based on economic conditions at the time, with the aim of supporting China’s long-term objective of doubling per-capita GDP by 2035 from 2020 and achieving the income level of moderately developed countries.

The change reflects uncertainties in the external environment and encourages local governments to focus more on growth quality rather than simply pursuing higher growth rates, said Vivian Jiang, CPPCC member and chairperson of Deloitte China.

This year's Government Work Report sets the annual growth target at 4.5 percent to 5 percent, and local governments have determined their goals based on their own circumstances, reflecting the organic connection between annual plans and mid-to-long-term planning, she added.

A number of high-growth industries are expected to gain momentum during the next five-year period, said NDRC Director Zheng Shanjie. By fostering new economic drivers and unlocking the potential of existing sectors, China aims to create multiple trillion-yuan-scale markets and strengthen the overall competitiveness of its industrial system, he said.

Editor: Futura Costaglione