Chinese local authorities put childbirth stimulus in govt work reports

Local Chinese governments have incorporated measures, such as subsidies, tax cuts, paternity leave extensions, childcare services, and better healthcare for mothers and children, into their annual work reports as China's provincial-level regions have been holding "two sessions" since the beginning of 2025.

The work report of Central China's Hubei Province prioritizes "alleviating concerns over childbirth" as its top livelihood project for 2025. The supporting measures include carrying out free disease screening services for newborns, ensuring house-buying subsidies for families with more than one child, and enhancing oversight and enforcement to guarantee the proper implementation of maternity, paternity, and parental leaves.

The government work report of Beijing outlined plans to enhance supportive policies aimed at creating a "birth-friendly society," with diversified childcare services covering the capital city's urban areas. The government work report of Tianjin committed to developing integrated city-level childcare service centers. East China's Zhejiang Province outlined bettering the system of fertility support policies and incentive mechanisms, as well as pilot programs on universally beneficial childcare services in its work report.

In addition to including childbirth incentives in government work reports, local lawmakers and policy advisors from Hubei, Zhejiang, East China's Jiangxi, and Southwest China's Sichuan provinces explored additional strategies to encourage higher birth rates.

Xing Hui, a member of the Hubei Provincial People's Congress and Party Chief of Xiangyang Central Hospital, proposed extending maternity leaves for both the mother and father respectively to 180 days and 30 days. Xing also suggested offering companies government subsidies and tax cuts to offset the costs incurred by the extended leaves.

Cai Xiangfen, a member of the Jiangxi Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, advocated for providing both one-time and long-term financial allowances to families. The family with more children will get more money from local governments. She also recommended covering medical expenses related to infertility and high-risk maternal care through the medical insurance fund.

Zhejiang policy advisor Jin Zhenzhen recommended that public kindergartens offer daycare for children aged 2-3 years old so that their parents can have time to go to work. Jin said some large enterprises could even set up "pre-kindergarten classes" with government subsidies to assist employees with childcare.

Li Jianmin, a professor of Institute of Population and Development at Nankai University, told the Global Times on Wednesday that adopting more proactive policies can help restore people's willingness to have children.

"However, shifting public willingness to have children is a long-term process. Immediate effects from these stimulus policies cannot be expected within one or two years. The strength and continuity of policies are crucial. The public will keep watching," Li said.

Fundamental institutional reforms are necessary, especially in income distribution and healthcare, Li pointed out. "For example, we need to figure out ways to deal with the "motherhood penalty," where women face restricted job opportunities, reduced income, fewer chances of promotion in the workplace after having children," Li said.

According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), China's birth number in 2024 increased by 520,000 compared with 2023, but the total population at the end of 2024 dropped by 1,390,000 to the end of 2023.