Shanghai's average life expectancy exceeded 82 years last year, the local health authority said on Thursday.

The average lifespan of Shanghai residents was 82.41 years in 2012, while the city's maternal mortality rate stood at 7.10 per 100,000, compared to 7.36 per 100,000 in 2011.

The infant mortality rate dropped to 5.04 per 1,000 from 5.7 in 2011, the Shanghai Health Bureau said.

Last year's maternal mortality and infant mortality rates were the lowest in the city's history.

Life expectancy, along with maternal and infant mortality rates are the three main indicators of a city's medical standards and people's living standards. A Shanghai official said all three figures in the city are in line with those in developed countries.

A total of 239,600 babies were born in Shanghai last year, the most for the past 10 years, with Chinese believing the Year of the Dragon represents good fortune.

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