Family allowances in China
China, post-One Child Policy ended in 2016 then 3-Child Policy in 2021, has rolled out from 2024 a unified national birth allowance: CNY 3,600/year per child under 3 for 2nd and 3rd (announced March 2025). Previously, provinces decided alone: CNY 100–1,000/month by region. 98-day minimum maternity leave, up to 188 days in Beijing.
New federal birth allowance 2024–2025 (CNY 3,600/year for 2nd/3rd child under 3). Previously: provincial policies (Sichuan CNY 800, Wenzhou CNY 1,500/month 2nd child, etc.). 98-day maternity leave (Labour Law) + 30–90 extra days by province. Public nurseries very underdeveloped (2025 target: 4.5 slots / 1,000).
National birth allowance (2024–2025 reform)
For the first time, the Chinese State (under Xi Jinping) announced in March 2025 a unified federal birth allowance:
- CNY 3,600/year (≈ €470) per child under 3
- Paid from the 2nd child (1st child excluded)
- On top of existing provincial schemes
- Announced as a response to demographic collapse (fertility rate 1.0 in 2023)
- Target: ~20 million eligible births/year
Provincial subsidies (before 2025)
Mosaic of provincial/municipal programmes:
- Sichuan: CNY 500–800/month for 2nd/3rd child until age 3
- Wenzhou (Zhejiang): CNY 1,500/month for 2nd child
- Shenzhen (Guangdong): CNY 7,500 lump sum + CNY 1,500/year
- Yunnan: CNY 2,000/year for 3rd child
- Hangzhou: CNY 5,000 lump sum at birth
- Beijing/Shanghai: no cash transfer but housing benefits
Maternity leave — 98 days minimum + provincial extensions
The national Labour Law guarantees 98 days minimum (15 before + 83 after), at 100% of salary (via Social Insurance or employer):
- Beijing: 98 + 60 days = 158 days (2021 reform)
- Shanghai: 98 + 60 days = 158 days
- Guangdong: 98 + 80 days = 178 days
- Tianjin: 98 + 60 days
- Anhui, Hubei, Hunan: 158–188 days
- 30–60 extra days bonus for multiple births, C-section, or 2nd/3rd child
Paternity leave — 7–30 days by province
- Beijing: 15 days
- Shanghai: 10 days
- Guangdong: 15 days
- Sichuan: 20 days
- Gansu: 30 days (most generous)
- Paid by employer at 100% of salary
- New 2024 “parental care leave” policy: 5–10 extra days/year for parents of under-3s
2022 tax reform — IIT deductions
Individual Income Tax (IIT) reform introducing family deductions:
- Childcare for under-3s: CNY 2,000/month deductible per child (2022 reform, doubled in 2023)
- Children’s education (3–22): CNY 2,000/month/child deductible
- Maternity costs: exemption during maternity leave
- Stackable: up to CNY 48,000/year in deductions for family with 2 school-age children
Nurseries — Tuoyusuo (托育所)
Childcare for 0–3 still largely underdeveloped:
- ~6% of 0–3 in nursery (vs OECD ~33%)
- National 2025 target: 4.5 slots per 1,000 inhabitants (vs ~2.5 in 2023)
- “Tuoyu Lianxin” programme: subsidies to company and inter-generational nurseries
- Fees: CNY 1,500–5,000/month by city (often private)
- Public kindergarten for 3–6 (Youer Yuan): much more developed, ~CNY 200–1,500/month
Hukou and access to family services
The Hukou system (household registration) conditions access to family services:
- Rural-origin children in urban areas: limited access to public school and health services
- 2014–2024 reforms: progressive easing, especially in tier 2/3 cities
- ~290 million “migrant workers” affected by this restriction
- Birth policies mainly target Hukou-local residents
How Illizeo helps on the HR side
Illizeo is not a consulting firm or a paying body. However, our HR layer manages all of an employee’s family variables: family composition (dependent children, ages), supporting documents, event declarations (birth, adoption), leave workflows (maternity, paternity, parental) with key date calculations, and automatic feed to your payroll software.
Official sources
Manage the HR side of family allowances
From birth declarations to parental leave calculation, Illizeo centralises variables and feeds your payroll automatically.
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