As of October 2025, China provides more than 4.7 childcare places for every 1,000 people, surpassing the goal of 4.5 places set in its 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) ahead of schedule, a researcher from the National Development and Reform Commission said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the 2025 Rural Child Development Forum, Zhang Benbo, a researcher at the Commission's Department of Social Development, said the number of childcare institutions in China has more than doubled, rising from 50,000 in 2020 to over 126,000 in 2025, with the total number of childcare places increasing from 2.81 million to 6.67 million in the same period.

Zhang said the accessibility and affordability of childcare have also improved. The proportion of affordable inclusive childcare services now approaches 50 percent, while the average monthly cost has decreased from around 2,700 yuan ($382) in 2020 to approximately 1,900 yuan in 2025.

"The expense, including the additional food bill, accounted for around 20 percent of a family's income. The financial burden remains relatively heavy, yet is still among the acceptable range," he said.

Meanwhile, challenges remain in the utilization and quality of existing childcare services, as well as the gap between urban and rural areas. Despite 35 percent of families expressing a desire for childcare, the current enrollment rate is only around 12 percent. Conversely, the utilization rate of existing childcare places is low, with nearly half of all places sitting empty.

Other challenges include a shortage of affordable services, large gaps in demand across different age groups and between urban and rural areas, and insufficient financial investment. Enrollment rates for infants aged 0 to 1 and 1 to 2 years are particularly low compared with European countries, and rural areas face a severe shortage of childcare resources, Zhang said.

He suggested increasing the enrollment rate to over 20 percent and the utilization rate of childcare places to 70 percent during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2025-30).

In addition, Zhang highlighted the need to expand the supply of affordable childcare, improve service quality and efficiency, reduce the financial burden on families, and strengthen infant care services in rural areas.