In China, the increased investment in the care system is clear, with numerous care policies introduced over the past two decades. However, China’s socio-economic shifts – declining birth rates, rapid aging, regional migration, urbanization, and expanding informal sector – are driving greater demand for care. Smaller households and a rising dependency ratio have reduced families’ capacities to provide care, placing a disproportionate burden on women.
This project aims to advance care policies – spanning childcare, elder care, and disability care – in China through evidence on actionable, costed, gender-transformative policy models. By conducting a comprehensive analysis of China’s care system, it seeks to inform decisions for creating sustainable and equitable policy.
Research findings will contribute to the advocacy work conducted by the UN China Working Group on Family-Friendly Policies and Care and Support, as well as their partners, with the goal of establishing a transformative care system in the country. They will also inform discussions with relevant ministries and stakeholders at national and subnational levels in China.
The study was commissioned by UNICEF China and UN Women China. It is conducted in partnership with Lingnan University.
