China needs to build a “fertility-friendly society” with policies supporting marriage, childbirth and childrearing, the country’s State Council says.

Amid a backdrop of plummeting birth rates and marriage registrations, there are fears the world’s second-most populous nation will see huge strain placed on its social insurance system with fewer babies being born each year.

At a State Council meeting on Friday, policymakers vowed to offer more support to families to stabilise the birth rate, which in 2025 fell for the fourth consecutive year to a record low.

The number of marriage registrations ​also ⁠dropped by about 7.5 per cent ‌in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, according to official data.

The government should focus on optimising tax, social security and housing to encourage couples to have families, the council body said, ​according ⁠to a readout aired by state television.

China's State Council has pledged to redirect tax and housing policies to support its vision for a…