As of January 1, according to The Conversation report, these items were subject to a 13 per cent value-added tax. The average cost of raising a child in China is estimated at around 538,000 yuan (over $77,000) to age 18. The government had hoped that this would help create a baby boom, resulting in a sizable increase in the national fertility rate. However, the fertility rate continued to decline to 1.2 in 2021 and 1.0 in 2024. In fact, the expert said that most of China’s fertility reduction, especially since the 1990s, has been voluntary, more a result of modernisation than fertility-control policies.

Source: Mint January 18, 2026 09:37 UTC