Radio Taiwan International
Date: 06 November, 2018
By: jvantrieste

Pingtung County residents say the costs of raising children deter many from becoming parents.

As Taiwan’s population ages, there is discussion over how to increase the birth rate and bring back some demographic balance.

In southern Taiwan’s Pingtung County, one approach being tried is to offer subsidies to new mothers. However, this strategy doesn’t seem to be having much of an effect.

This hospital nursery in Pingtung County has just welcomed a few new local citizens into the world. There’s a lot more room in this nursery than there used to be.

In years past, this hospital alone might handle up to 250 births a month. This year, though, the average monthly birth rate for all of Pingtung County is just over 380.
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