Overview

• The program grants families 3,600 yuan annually per child under three for births from January 1, 2025, totaling 10,800 yuan per child.
• Fertility dipped to one child per woman in 2023 and the population fell by 1.39 million last year, allowing India to become the world’s most populous nation.
• Nationwide estimates put the cost of raising a child to adulthood at roughly 538,000 yuan, with expenses exceeding one million yuan in Beijing and Shanghai.
• Youth unemployment has reached record levels, contributing to the “lie flat” trend in which many young adults opt out of marriage and parenthood.
• With nearly 310 million citizens aged 60 or older and mounting pension shortfalls, analysts say money incentives alone may not reverse China’s demographic decline.