China's free final-year kindergarten policy benefits 24m children: ministry

BEIJING -- About 24 million children enrolled in kindergartens across China have benefited from a policy waiving childcare and education fees for the final year of preschool, a finance official said on Friday.

Meanwhile, more than 25 million infants and toddlers have received childcare subsidies for 2026, said Wang Xinxiang, director of the Budget Department of the Ministry of Finance, at a news conference.

China introduced a nationwide childcare subsidy program in 2025, offering an annual tax-free subsidy of 3,600 yuan (about $530) for each child under the age of three.

The country also began waiving childcare and education fees for the final year of kindergarten in the 2025 autumn semester, marking another step in easing the financial burden on families with young children.

These policies are among China's broader efforts to build a birth-friendly society amid declining birth rates and an aging population.