China Raises Childcare Handouts To Fight Plummeting Birth Rate
Summary
China is increasing its childcare subsidies by 10.6% to about 110 billion yuan ($15.3 billion) to help address its falling birth rate. Despite ending the one-child policy, China's fertility rate is very low and continues to decline, raising concerns about future economic growth and an aging population.Key Facts
- China’s central government will spend 99.9 billion yuan ($13.9 billion) on local childcare support programs this year.
- This amount is a 10.6% increase compared to last year’s funding.
- Total childcare subsidies in China will reach about 110 billion yuan ($15.3 billion).
- China’s fertility rate is estimated to drop to 0.97 births per woman in 2025, down from about 1.02 in 2024.
- The fertility rate of 0.97 is well below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman, needed to keep the population stable.
- China ended its one-child policy years ago but birth rates have continued to fall.
- Policymakers worry that a shrinking and aging population will slow China’s economic growth.
- More than two-thirds of the world’s population lives in countries with fertility rates below the replacement level.
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