China Moves to Expand Benefits for Urban Migrants as Cities Struggle With Shrinking Populations

Analysts say the shift reflects mounting fiscal pressure on local governments as weak housing demand and demographic decline reshape China’s urban economy.

A woman pushes a man in a wheelchair on a street in Beijing on Jan. 17, 2024. Photo by Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images

China’s State Council has issued a new policy expanding access to public services for non-registered urban residents, in what analysts describe as part of a broader effort to shore up struggling local economies and stem population decline.

The directive, released by Chinese state media outlet Xinhua News Agency on May 22, calls for expanding access to education, health care, housing, and social security for people living in cities without local household registration.