China launches new round of applications for nationwide childcare subsidies

BEIJING -- China on Monday started a new round of applications for its 2026 nationwide childcare subsidy program, offering eligible families a tax-free lump sum of 3,600 yuan (about $513) per year for each child under the age of three.

Eligible parents can apply through multiple online platforms, including Alipay and WeChat, as well as via offline channels, according to relevant authorities.

The program, launched in July 2025, has so far benefited more than 24 million people nationwide, with the distribution rate of childcare subsidies for 2025 reaching around 80 percent, data from the National Health Commission showed.

To support this program, the central government had planned to allocate 90 billion yuan from the central budget in 2025, the Ministry of Finance noted.

The latest move comes as China continues to build a more supportive policy environment for childbearing and child-rearing in response to long-term demographic changes. With roughly 30 million children under the age of three, the country's birth rate and its total number of newborns had declined for seven consecutive years before posting a modest rebound in 2024. Meanwhile, China's population aged 60 and above had reached 310 million by the end of 2024.

In recent years, China has expanded economic support for families with children across multiple areas. In addition to direct subsidies, childcare for children under the age of three and children's education have been included in additional individual income tax deductions, with the deduction standard raised from 1,000 yuan to 2,000 yuan per child per month.

More policy measures to ease the financial burden of childbirth and child-rearing are in the pipeline. Last year, China announced a plan to ensure nationwide insurance coverage for basic childbirth costs by 2026. Fertility policy was also highlighted at last year's Central Economic Work Conference, which called for efforts to maintain the birth rate at a stable level.