24 million kindergarten children in China benefit from free education policy

Beijing (ANTARA) - Around 24 million children enrolled in kindergartens across China are benefiting from a policy waiving education and childcare fees for the final year of preschool education, a Chinese finance official said on Friday (21/8). Meanwhile, more than 25 million infants and children under the age of three have received childcare subsidies for 2026, said Wang Xinxiang, Director of the Budget Department at China’s Ministry of Finance, during a press conference. China implemented a national childcare subsidy programme in 2025, providing an annual tax-free subsidy of 3,600 yuan (1 yuan = Rp2,644) for each toddler. China also began waiving education and childcare fees for the final year of kindergarten in the autumn semester of 2025, marking another step in easing the financial burden on families with young children. These policies are part of broader efforts in China to build a birth-friendly society amid declining birth rates and an ageing population.