SHANGHAI - The average life expectancy for Shanghai residents reached 82.51 years last year, the longest in the country, local health authorities said Monday.

The figure was 0.38 years longer than that recorded in 2010, the Shanghai municipal health bureau said in a press release.

The city's infant mortality rate was 0.57 percent, while the maternal mortality rate was 7.36/100,000, the statement said.

Shanghai continues to rank among the world's most developed regions in terms of the health-related readings, the statement said.

Last year, local health authorities formed 12,000 health management groups to help people suffering from chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, to change their lifestyles and boost the progress of their treatment, the statement said.

Health authorities and volunteers also patrolled 500,000 public areas where smoking is legally banned to crack down on violators.