The Chinese government plans to fully cover all medical expenses related to childbirth from state funds, starting in 2026. The main goal of this initiative is to encourage young families to have children and reverse the demographic decline observed in the country. This was reported by the National Health Security Administration.
According to the new policy, starting from 2026, all medical services related to the childbirth process throughout the country, including prenatal examinations, diagnostics, and checkups, will be fully covered by the state. This is expected to create a "zero out-of-pocket childbirth" system and remove a significant financial burden from families.
This decision was made as part of Beijing's comprehensive policy aimed at halting population decline and ensuring demographic stability in the coming years. According to statistics, China's population declined in 2022 for the first time in several decades, and this trend continued until 2024. Experts note that population decline may continue in the coming years due to low birth rate dynamics. This can create additional pressure on local authorities through a decrease in the workforce and an increase in the proportion of the older generation.
The long-term decline in the birth rate in China was influenced by factors such as the "one-child policy" in effect from 1980 to 2015, accelerating urbanization, high costs of childcare and education, unemployment, and a slowdown in economic growth. Many young people are delaying marriage and childbirth due to these factors.
In some provinces - Jilin, Jiangsu, and Shandong - the practice of making childbirth almost free has already been introduced. At the same time, the central government plans to encourage families to have multiple children by allocating additional subsidies for childcare, making preschool education more affordable and, in some cases, free, extending maternity leave, and providing tax and housing benefits.
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