Parents in China are offered 3,600 yuan (£ 375; $ 500) per year for each of their children under three years of age in the first government subsidy aimed at increasing birth rates.
The country’s birth rate fell, even after the Communist Party in power abolished its controversial policy in a single child almost a decade ago.
Documents will help around 20 million families with the cost of education for children, according to state media.
Several provinces across China have piloted a form of payment to encourage people to have more children because the second world economy is faced with an imminent demographic crisis.
The program, which was announced on Monday, will offer parents a total of 10,800 yuan per child.
Policy will be applied retroactive from the start of this year, said Beijing CCTV’s state broadcaster.
Families with children born between 2022 and 2024 can also request partial subsidies.
This decision follows the efforts of local governments to increase birth rate in China.
In March, Hohhot – A city in the northern region of China – began to offer residents up to 100,000 yuan per baby for couples with at least three children.
Shenyang, a city northeast of Beijing, offers 500 yuan per month to local families with a third child under the age of three.
Last week, Beijing also urged local governments to write plans to implement free preschool education.
The country is among the most expensive places in the world to have children, in relative terms, according to a study by the Yuwa Population Research Institute based in China.
The increase of a child at the age of 17 in China costs an average of $ 75,700, according to the study.
In January, official figures showed that the Chinese population had dropped for a third consecutive year in 2024.
China recorded 9.54 million babies born in 2024, according to the National Statistics Office.
This marked a slight increase compared to the previous year, but the country’s overall population continued to shrink.
The country 1.4 billion populations are also growing quickly, adding to the demographic concerns of Beijing.
