Patterns of spatial inequality in China’s longevity population and its socio-economic influences

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG-3) aims to improve global health and well-being, requiring the implementation of a range of targeted strategies. The longevity population serves as a key indicator for assessing the health of a country or region. Understanding the spatial distribution and the underlying socio-economic and environmental determinants of longevity is crucial for improving public health. Notably, China exhibits significant disparities in the geospatial distribution of its longevity population. This study makes several novel contributions by investigating the spatial heterogeneity and socio-economic factors influencing longevity across the country and its seven major geographic subregions. Using advanced geostatistical methods, we explore how various socio-economic factors, including family size, housing stability, marital status, automobile ownership, and the number of hospitals, influence the distribution of longevity populations in China. Our findings reveal that: (1) The distribution of the longevity population in China is highly uneven, with significant spatial autocorrelation. The southeastern regions, east of the Hu Line, represent the longevity hotspots, while the northwestern regions are identified as cold spots. (2) The distribution patterns in Northeast, North, and Central China show multiple longevity hotspots and cold spots. East China has a diversified pattern with concentrated core hotspots and scattered peripheral hotspots. South China exhibits considerable north-south differences in longevity distribution, while Southwest China forms a high-concentration hotspot centered around Chongqing and Sichuan, with Yunnan and Tibet as marginal cold spots. Northwest China shows a notable hotspot in Shaanxi Province and cold spots in Qinghai and western Xinjiang. (3) Socio-economic factors significantly influence the longevity population's spatial distribution, with varying impacts across gender and geographic regions. The results underscore the complex interplay of social and economic factors in shaping longevity patterns in China. This study provides a comprehensive basis for understanding the spatial distribution of longevity in China and offers valuable insights for developing more targeted and effective public health policies.