China unveils plan to make cities more youth- and child-friendly

HONG KONG – China has issued a new proposal urging cities to integrate youth development into urban planning, housing, healthcare, education and public services, in a broader push to make urban life more supportive for young people, children and families.

The blueprint, jointly issued by 15 departments and released on April 22, aims to deepen the construction of “youth-development-oriented cities,” with measures spanning jobs, housing, healthcare, family support and urban services.

It comes after Beijing said in March that it would build a “childbirth-friendly society” from 2026 to 2030.

The authorities are trying to reverse China’s demographic decline after official data showed births fell to 7.92 million in 2025, with the birth rate dropping to a record low. China’s population fell by 3.39 million in 2025, the fourth consecutive annual decline.

Measures include improving matchmaking and social services, expanding childcare subsidies, promoting wider coverage of mother-and-baby rooms in public places, improving maternity and paediatric care, strengthening after-school and holiday childcare services, and making school access more equal for the children of migrant workers.

“By 2030, the concept of youth-development-oriented cities will be widely established,” the policy said, adding that by 2035 China aims to have formed a “relatively mature and complete system for youth development”.

China also issued a blueprint on high-quality urban development in 2025, aimed at creating more liveable cities by 2035.

The pivot comes after breakneck urban growth that once super-charged the world’s second-largest economy, as the authorities shift their focus from rapid growth to improving quality of life and stable development. REUTERS