China to offer free pre-school education to face declining birth rate
(MENAFN) In a move to address its declining birth rate and population challenges, China has announced that it will begin offering free pre-school education starting in the autumn of 2025.
“Starting in the fall semester of 2025, childcare and education fees will be waived for children attending public kindergartens in the year before school,” the State Council, China’s top governing body, confirmed on Tuesday.
This policy shift follows a recent decision to provide parents with an annual subsidy of approximately $500 for each child under the age of three, as part of broader efforts to support families and boost birth rates.
China’s population has been shrinking for three consecutive years. United Nations projections suggest the current population of roughly 1.4 billion could drop to 800 million by the year 2100 if trends continue.
The number of births in China dropped to just 9.54 million last year, which is only half of what it was in 2016—the year the government ended its long-standing one-child policy. In 2023, the population decreased by 1.39 million, and China was surpassed by India as the world’s most populous country.
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