BEIJING — China said today it would introduce free pre-school education from the autumn, as the world’s second most populous nation seeks to boost childbirth in the face of a looming demographic crisis.

China’s population has declined for three consecutive years, with United Nations demography models predicting it could fall from around 1.4 billion today to 800 million by 2100.

There were just 9.54 million births in China last year, half the number in 2016, when Beijing ended its one-child policy after more than three decades.

The population declined by 1.39 million last year, and China lost its crown as the world’s most populous country to India in 2023.

Marriage rates are also at record low levels, with many young couples put off having babies by high child-rearing costs and career concerns.

Yesterday China’s cabinet, the State Council, announced that: “starting in the fall semester of 2025, childcare and education fees will be waived for children attending public kindergartens in the year before school”.

The policy aims to “effectively reduce the cost of education, improve the level of public education services, and provide education that satisfies the people”, the State Council said.