Data from the State Taxation Administration has revealed that over 1.3bn people in China have availed of the country's basic medical insurance coverage in the first quarter of 2026, with contribution revenues reaching CNY598.1bn ($88bn), up 5.3% y-o-y.
According to a report in chinadaily.com.cn, the latest tax figures showed that the number of employed people paying basic medical insurance premiums stood at 260m in the first quarter, an increase of 1.8% from a year earlier. The total number of people covered by basic medical insurance, including urban and rural residents and retirees, stood at over 1.3bn.
Meanwhile, the enrolment for the 2026 urban and rural residents’ basic medical insurance programme has generated income of CNY350.4bn. According to the taxation authority, it has fully implemented online payment services for basic medical insurance premiums nationwide, with over 95% of transactions now handled digitally.