What’s new
Beijing will scrap fees for one year of public kindergarten starting in the fall term of 2025. The waiver applies to the final pre-primary year for children enrolled in public kindergartens, according to the State Council.
Sweetener already on the table
A separate nationwide benefit announced last week offers about US$500 annually per child under age three, aimed at easing early-child costs for parents.
Why this move now
China’s population has fallen for three straight years. United Nations projections suggest a long glide from roughly 1.4 billion people today to about 800 million by 2100 if trends hold.
The numbers behind the worry
- 9.54 million births last year — roughly half the tally from 2016, the year the one-child policy ended.
- A net population decline of 1.39 million last year.
- India surpassed China in 2023 to become the most populous country.
Bottom line
Free pre-K plus cash allowances signals a pivot from restrictive to supportive family policy. Whether lower costs in the earliest years can overcome entrenched headwinds—urban living costs, work-life pressures, and shifting attitudes toward family size—will determine if this is a policy tweak or a demographic turning point.
