At least one police officer died everyday in China, mostly due to stress, over the past five years, making the job one of the most dangerous in the country.
A total of 2,204 police officers have died while on duty and about 16,800 have been injured nationwide over the past five years, the Ministry of Public Security said in a statement.
Stress was stated to be a common reason as nearly 50 per cent of these deaths were sudden cardiac-related issues resulting from physical and emotional pressure, making this the most common cause of death among police, the ministry statement said.
The average age of death among these police officers was 42. 8, and about 78 per cent of the deceased were under 49.
The most common cause of injury was assault.
About 5,450 police officers were injured in assaults while on duty, accounting for 32.4 per cent of the total injured in the same period, the statement said.
Among various police forces, constables, traffic police and criminal investigators reported the highest casualty rates.
Security conscious China spends more on internal security far higher than the defence budget.
China this year allocated USD 122 billion for internal security compared to USD 115.7 billion defence budget.
