China to cover full childbirth costs by 2026

The initiative, unveiled at a national healthcare conference, seeks to directly counter the country's declining population growth by removing the core financial barrier of delivery costs. Starting next year, the government will work toward ensuring that the basic medical expenses for in-hospital childbirth are fully covered by insurance, with no out-of-pocket payments for parents within policy limits.

Essentially, this is about reducing the burden of having children and providing stronger support for families, according to Chinese state media Xinhua. 

The plan will enhance coverage for prenatal care and standard delivery services. Seven regions, including Jilin, Jiangsu and Shandong, are already implementing full coverage for policy-in-scope childbirth expenses.

Officials clarified that the free coverage applies to standard medical services at public hospitals. Costs incurred at premium private facilities, or for medications and treatments outside the basic insurance catalogue, will not be reimbursed.

In a parallel move to extend support, the government will expand maternity insurance eligibility to include freelancers, migrant workers, and employees in new, flexible job sectors. Currently, maternity insurance covers about 255 million people nationwide.

The sweeping changes mark Beijing's most concrete step to date in using social policy to incentivize childbirth, as it grapples with a rapidly aging population and a historic low birth rate.

As of 2024, China's birth rate is at a historically low level, posing a significant demographic challenge. In 2023 China’s birth rate is ta 6.39 births per 1,000 people, according to China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). In that same year, China, a country with a population of 1.4 billion people, recorded approximately 9.02 million newborns. Another concern for Beijing is the sharp fall in its total fertility rate (TFR) estimated presently to be around 1.0 or even below, which is one of the lowest in the world. The TFR is the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime. A rate of 2.1 is needed to maintain a stable population (replacement level).