3 days ago
Taiwan Plans More Cash Handouts To Boost Declining Birth Rate
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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Taiwan's government plans to expand subsidies for in vitro fertilization (IVF) in hopes of raising the island democracy's birth rate, which is among the world's lowest.
Why It Matters
Roughly two-thirds of the world's population now live in places where fertility—births expected per woman—is below the 2.1 replacement level, according to the French Institute for Demographic Studies, as lifespans lengthen and the cost of living rises.
In 2024, Taiwan recorded about 135,000 births—a record low and the ninth straight annual decline—as more couples delay or forgo children. The island also joined South Korea and Japan as a "super-aged society," with people aged 65 and older comprising about 20 percent of the population. Officials warn of the long-term economic impact of these demographic trends, but some say much more needs to be done.
Newsweek reached out to Taiwan's National Development Council via written request for comment.
What To Know
Taiwan's Health Promotion Administration (HPA) is planning to implement higher subsidies for IVF to ease the financial burden on prospective parents. IVF is the process in which eggs are fertilized with sperm outside the body and then implanted in the uterus to achieve pregnancy.
Under the subsidy program introduced in 2021, eligible couples can receive up to NT$100,000 ($3,340) for the first IVF cycle and NT$60,000 for subsequent treatments.
A dog looks on from a stroller as people walk past the National Theater in front of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei on April 5, 2023.
A dog looks on from a stroller as people walk past the National Theater in front of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei on April 5, 2023.
Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images
Most patients require three to four IVF cycles to achieve pregnancy, with cumulative chances of success rising across repeated attempts.
Under the proposed increase, subsidies for treatments two to six would be brought up to the first-cycle level, HPA Director-General Shen Ching-fen told reporters Tuesday, per Taiwan's Central News Agency.
As in many countries, the age at marriage and at first birth has crept upward in Taiwan, and the likelihood of pregnancy rapidly declines for women aged over 35.
HPA data from 2022 show a per-cycle pregnancy rate—the probability that a single IVF cycle results in pregnancy—of about 32.6 percent at age 30, falling to about 19 percent at age 40.
What People Have Said
Chen Shih-cheng, former health minister and now a minister without portfolio at Taiwan's executive branch, the Executive Yuan, warned in a May article for CommonWealth Magazine that Taiwan's pro-natal measures are insufficient and investments lag behind countries like Japan and France.
He called for swift action, or "it will be too late."
"Both international research and local experience show that cash subsidies are not ineffective—but they are insufficient," he said.
"The government may believe it is offering adequate support, but many families still face heavy financial burdens. Policy must evolve from easing the burden, to eliminating it—or even reversing it."
What's Next
The HPA said additional details would be announced after the subsidy scheme is approved.
