Taiwan is facing a population crisis as its birthrate is declining annually, and so far, this year has been no exception. Only around 9,000 births were recorded in February, and that has doctors and government officials worried. With housing and living costs on the rise, one doctor says that government subsidies need to be increased to encourage would-be parents to take the plunge into parenthood.

A mother holds her newborn as the father looks on from her bedside. New births this month are down from the same month last year.

Member of the public
The reason people don’t want to have children now is that they can’t afford to buy property, let alone the costs of raising a child. Plus there are other costs, like buying a car.

Ministry of the Interior statistics showed that just over 9,000 births were recorded in February. That’s roughly 450 fewer births than in February last year. Obstetricians and gynecologists say the decline is concerning — especially given that this is the Year of the Dragon, when it’s traditionally considered auspicious to have children.

Yin Chang-sheng
Kang-Ning General Hospital
This is the Year of the Dragon, and it’s a leap year meaning there was an extra day in February. If new births in February this year didn’t break 10,000, it’s unlikely they will do so in September or October. So, total births this year may end up somewhere between 120,000 and 130,000. They might even end up less than that.

Taiwan’s birthrate has been decreasing annually over the past five years, dropping from 180,000 births in 2018 to 135,000 last year. Obstetricians and gynecologists argue that parental benefits and incentives must be improved, if the government hopes to see the birthrate increase.

Yin Chang-sheng
Kang-Ning General Hospital
One child is already a big challenge for double-income families, so almost nobody is having two children. Caring for kids full-time is impossible for career women, so government subsidies is the only option.

The government currently offers a monthly childcare subsidy of NT$5,000 for a family’s first child, NT$6,000 for the second child, and NT$7,000 for the third child, up to the age of 6. The subsidy helps with expenses, but is still not enough for some families, in the face of rising inflation rates and exorbitant housing prices.

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