Japan has officially levied child and parenting support funds in April this year, which has been nicknamed the single tax by many netizens, and related topics have been fiercely debated on local social platforms. This policy does not only collect money from single people, but all people participating in Japan's public medical insurance must pay, regardless of whether they have children or not, and how old they are, all are borne together, and the expenses are directly added to the medical insurance and deducted together.
The charging standard will increase year by year. In 2026, the average monthly payment per person will be about 250 yen, which is about 12 yuan when converted into RMB. By 2028, it will rise to 450 yen per month. The higher your income, the more you pay. Office workers’ expenses are borne half by the individual and the company.
The money collected is mainly used for child care subsidies. Children under 3 years old can receive about 15,000 yen (640 yuan) per month, and children from 3 years old to high school can receive about 10,000 yen (420 yuan) per month. It also subsidizes childbirth expenses, childcare services, parental leave allowances, etc. From birth to high school, a child can receive a total of about 150,000 yuan in support.
Many single and childless people are particularly dissatisfied. They feel that they have no children, but they have to pay to help others raise their children, and they continue to complain online. Some people say that their lives are already very stressful and they have to pay extra, which makes them feel very uncomfortable.
However, some people believe that the children currently being subsidized will become the main contributors to pension payments in the future, which can be regarded as mutual aid for the whole society.
