Japan will make normal childbirth free under its national health insurance system by April 2026 as part of a broad effort to fight its falling birth rate. A government panel of experts has suggested a new policy to reduce the financial burden on new parents, calling on the health ministry to complete a plan within the 2026 fiscal year.
At present, normal deliveries are not covered by Japan’s national health insurance unless accompanied by surgery like a caesarean. Up to ¥500,000 (about £2,581) is subsidized by the government for childbirth, but a review panel concluded the amount was lacking in almost 45% of births surveyed over May 2023 to September 2024.
The cost of childbirth also differs from prefecture to prefecture, as hospitals separately determine delivery charges. On average, a regular delivery price ¥518,000 (£2,674) in the first half of 2024 a 24% increase from 2012. To rectify this difference, the panel suggested that there should be a uniform nationwide childbirth charge.
Japan had only 720,988 births in 2024, a drop of 5% from last year and the lowest number since records started 125 years ago. It was the ninth straight year that births were falling, even with many government measures.
Policymakers are growing concerned over Japan’s demographic crisis, in which over 30% of the population is above the age of 65 a record high among developed economies. The government has thus introduced a range of incentives, including childcare subsidies, housing subsidies, and even a state-subsidized dating app, to promote marriage and having children.
The ministry of health already laid out a package of childcare policies in 2023 aimed at discouraging declining fertility with more financial support for new families. The new nationwide coverage of childbirth fees is likely to be a central element of the government’s overall population strategy.
