China makes childbirth free in major 2026 healthcare policy shift

China’s national healthcare security administration has announced a major shift in policy as it intends to fully cover all policy-approved medical costs related to childbirth.

Under a new policy, the couples will be benefitted with parental check-ups and delivery costs, aiming to eliminate out-of-pocket expenses for families.

According to the administration, “it would improve the level of medical expense coverage for prenatal examinations, striving to achieve ‘no out-of-pocket expenses’ for childbirth.”

The latest move comes as China is grappling with a declining population for the first time in decades in 2022. The population has continued to plunge throughout 2024.

The recent policy shift can be seen as an effort to incentivise young couples to have more children. Because, China followed one-child policy that was in place from 1980-2015. 

Besides exorbitant healthcare expenditures, costs related to education and childcare have been responsible for discouraging young people from starting families.

According to demographers, the worrying trend wrapping around flagging population tends to continue, thereby leading to the country’s reduced workforce and additional strain to the economy.

To tackle this poor birth-rate issue, some Chinese provinces, such as Jiangsu, Jilin, and Shandong have rolled out policies to cover all childbirth costs.

Previously, the administration tried to increase childbirth by enhancing maternity leaves, housing subsidies, and financial benefits.