China Pledges Free Childbirth by 2026 to Combat Declining Birth Rate

China Aims for Universal Free Childbirth by 2026

Beijing, China – China has unveiled an ambitious plan to make childbirth essentially free for all its citizens by 2026, a strategic move designed to alleviate financial burdens on families and address the nation's rapidly declining birth rate. The announcement was made at a national healthcare security conference on Saturday, December 13, 2025.

Under the new initiative, the goal for 2026 is to ensure that the basic costs associated with childbirth are fully covered by national insurance programs. This means individuals will incur no out-of-pocket expenses for standard delivery services, provided they fall within policy limits. The comprehensive coverage is set to include essential services such as prenatal care, labor, and postnatal medical services.

Policy Details and Implementation

The commitment specifically targets standard medical services. Officials have clarified that additional costs arising from choices like premium-priced hospitals or the use of medications and materials not included in the basic insurance catalog will not be reimbursed.

Currently, several provincial-level regions have already implemented similar measures. These include Jilin, Jiangsu, and Shandong, which provide full insurance coverage for in-hospital childbirth medical expenses within their respective policy scopes. The National Healthcare Security Administration is also working to broaden maternity insurance eligibility. Plans are underway to extend coverage to flexible workers, migrant workers, and individuals in new forms of employment, significantly expanding the approximately 255 million people currently covered by China's maternity insurance system.

Addressing China's Demographic Crisis

This policy comes as China grapples with severe demographic challenges, including mounting pressures from a continuously declining birth rate and an aging population. The country recorded its third consecutive year of overall population decline in 2024. New births in 2024 totaled 9.54 million, a stark contrast to the 18.8 million recorded in 2016, the year China lifted its decades-long one-child policy.

The diminishing birth rate poses a significant threat to the world's second-largest economy, as the working-age population shrinks, impacting labor supply and productivity. In 2023, China ceded its position as the world's most populous nation to India. Projections from the United Nations indicate that China's population could further decline to 1.3 billion by 2050 and potentially to 633 million by 2100. Factors such as rising living costs, expensive childcare, housing affordability issues, and career pressures are frequently cited as reasons discouraging couples from having more children.

Broader Support Measures for Families

The initiative to cover childbirth costs is part of a wider array of policies introduced by the Chinese government to encourage higher birth rates. Other measures include:

• A national childcare subsidy system, providing 3,600 yuan annually per child under the age of three, effective from January 1, 2025.
• Extended maternity and paternity leave policies across various provinces.
• The inclusion of assisted reproductive technologies (ART), such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), in medical insurance reimbursement in several regions.
• Enhanced efforts to improve infant and childcare services nationwide.
• Increased tax deductions for childcare expenses.
• A mandate for hospitals to provide epidural anesthesia during childbirth.

These comprehensive policies underscore the government's urgent commitment to reversing the demographic trend and fostering a more birth-friendly society in China.