BEIJING, March 5 (Reuters) – China said on Thursday it would build a “childbirth-friendly society” in the next five years, pledging to address concerns over employment, education, medical care, health and income, according to an official government report.
Authorities will improve population services and respond proactively on ageing, including “promoting high-quality, full employment, improving the income distribution system, and refining the social security system.”
They will also foster “positive attitudes towards marriage and childbearing,” the report said, adding that it would boost housing support for families with children.
China’s population fell for a fourth consecutive year in 2025, as the birth rate plunged to a record low, official data showed in January, with experts warning of further 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 around 180 billion yuan ($25.8 billion) to boost births, according to Reuters estimates.
Key costs are the national child subsidy, which was introduced for the first time last year, as well as a pledge that women throughout pregnancy have “no out-of-pocket expenses” in 2026, with all medical costs, including in vitro fertilisation (IVF), fully reimbursable under its national medical insurance fund.
Authorities will continue to implement the childcare subsidy system and expand demonstrations and trials for subsidised childcare services, according to China’s Five Year Plan, which was also released on Thursday and outlined goals for growth.
“Optimise fertility support policies and incentive measures to effectively reduce family costs of childbirth, raising and education,” it said, adding that China would strive to stabilise the size of the newborn population.
The official government report also said services for women in early stages of pregnancy as well as reproductive health would be improved and that efforts would be made to better prevent and treat birth defects.
Authorities will also refine policies on free preschool education and increase the supply of regular senior secondary school places, with government spending on education mandated to be higher than 4% of GDP, the report said.
DEVELOPING THE ‘SILVER ECONOMY’
China’s population has been shrinking since 2022 and is ageing rapidly, complicating Beijing’s plan to boost domestic consumption and rein in debt.
New policies will be introduced to promote “high-quality development of the silver economy”, targeted at those aged 60 and older, with elderly care services to be increased, particularly in rural areas, the report said.
Authorities will also draw up measures to refine supportive policies designed for seniors including pension finance, wellness and care, it said.
By 2035, the number of Chinese over-60s is set to hit 400 million – roughly equal to the populations of the U.S. and Italy combined – meaning hundreds of millions of people are set to leave the workforce at a time when pension budgets are already stretched.
China has already increased retirement ages, with men now expected to work until they are 63 rather than 60, and women until they are 58 rather than 55.
(Reporting by the Beijing newsroom; Writing by Farah Master; Editing by Christopher Cushing, Michael Perry and Kate Mayberry)
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