China’s nationwide fiscal spending totaled 28.74 trillion yuan (over 4 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2025, up one percent from a year earlier, official data showed on Friday, as authorities increased outlays for social welfare, education and sci-tech sectors while rolling out measures to shore up domestic consumption.

Data released by the Ministry of Finance of China showed spending on social security and employment rose 6.7 percent. Outlays for education, healthcare, science and technology, and energy conservation and environmental protection increased 3.2 percent, 5.7 percent, 4.8 percent and 6.1 percent, respectively, underscoring efforts to protect funding for key policy priorities.

The spending figures came as China introduced nationwide childcare subsidies in 2025, marking the first time China rolled out broad-based, universal cash payments directly to families.

Governments at all levels allocated about 100 billion yuan (near 15 billion U.S. dollars) for the program, including 90.4 billion yuan (over 13 billion U.S. dollars) from the central government. More than 30 million infants and toddlers have benefited so far, according to official data.

To help boost demand, the Finance Ministry also deployed 300 billion yuan (over 43 billion U.S. dollars) in ultra-long special treasury bonds across four batches to support consumer trade-in programs, encouraging households to replace old appliances and vehicles.

The measures have helped unlock consumption potential and speed up industrial upgrading, the ministry said.