China Population

China is set to introduce nationwide cash subsidies to boost childbirth amid a persistent population decline that poses long-term economic risks, Bloomberg News reported Friday. Under the proposed policy, families would receive CNY 3,600 annually for each child born on or after January 1, 2025, continuing until the child turns three. Though not yet officially announced, the move signals Beijing’s growing urgency to tackle demographic challenges. Despite ending the one-child policy nearly a decade ago, the country’s birthrate has continued to fall, with only 9.54 million births recorded in 2024, the second-lowest number since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. Local governments reportedly have already begun offering incentives, including housing subsidies and lump-sum payments.