BEIJING - China's nationwide maternal mortality rate was 16.9 per 100,000 in 2020, down 15.9 percent than 2015, said a health official on Thursday.

The infant mortality rate was 5.4 per 1,000 in 2020, a decrease of 33.3 percent compared with 2015, said Song Li, head of the division of women and children of the National Health Commission at a news briefing.

The mortality rate of children under five years old is 7.5 per 1,000 in 2020, down 30 percent compared with 2015, she said.

The maternal mortality rate is well below the median of 43 per 100,000 in middle- and upper-income countries. China's core indicators of maternal and child health also rank top among middle- and upper-income countries in the world, she added.

In the last five years, the commission has improved policies and measures related to the health of women and children, optimized the allocation of resources, and effectively strengthened medical service related to childbirth, Song said.