Five insurances and one fund (五险一金) — what it is

The mandatory social-security package every Chinese employer contributes to — and a meaningful slice of your salary. Good news: some of it is your money that comes back to you.

Updated August 2026 · Shanghai rates shown; they change yearly.

Five insurances and one fund (五险一金, wǔxiǎn yījīn) is China's social security package. The five insurances (五险): pension, medical, unemployment, injury, and maternity (in Shanghai, maternity is merged into medical). The one fund (一金) is the housing fund — a forced savings account for housing.

Your employee share in Shanghai is roughly:

Component	You pay	Employer pays
Pension (养老)	8%	16%
Medical (医疗)	2%	~9.5%
Unemployment (失业)	0.5%	0.5%
Injury (工伤)	0	0.16-1.52%
Maternity (生育)	0	(merged into medical)
Housing fund (公积金)	5-7%	5-7%

So expect roughly 10.5% + 5-7% deducted from your gross salary, capped at the contribution ceiling (≈¥36,900/month in Shanghai).

For foreigners:

Most employers enroll you — at minimum medical insurance.
Bilateral agreements (Germany, Netherlands, Korea, etc.) can exempt you from pension.
When you leave China, you can withdraw your employee pension portion and your entire housing fund — a real lump sum.