China announced on Thursday (5) that it will build a “child-friendly society” over the next five years, pledging to address issues related to employment, education, healthcare, health and income, according to an official government report.
Authorities will improve population services and proactively respond to aging, including “promoting full, high-quality employment, improving the income distribution system and refining the social security system.”
They will also promote “positive attitudes toward marriage and motherhood,” the report said, adding that it will increase housing support for families with children.
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China’s population has fallen for the fourth consecutive year in 2025, with the birth rate reaching a record low, according to official data released in January, with experts warning of an even greater decline.
Policymakers have made population planning a key part of the country’s economic strategy, and this year Beijing faces a total potential cost of about 180 billion yuan ($25.8 billion) to increase births, according to Reuters estimates.
The main costs are the national child allowance, first introduced last year, as well as the promise that women during pregnancy will have no “extra expenses” in 2026, with all medical costs, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), fully reimbursable from the national medical insurance fund.
Authorities will continue to implement the child care subsidy system and expand demonstrations and trials for subsidized child care services, in line with China’s Five-Year Plan, which was also released on Thursday and outlined targets for growth.
“Optimize fertility support policies and incentive measures to effectively reduce family costs of birth, rearing and education of children,” he said, adding that China will strive to stabilize the size of the newborn population.
The official government report also said that services for women in the early stages of pregnancy, as well as reproductive health, will be improved and that efforts will be made to prevent and better treat birth defects.
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Authorities will also refine free pre-school education policies and increase the supply of regular places in secondary education, with government spending on education required to exceed 4% of GDP, according to the report.
