The China Post
Date: May 8, 2017
By: Kuan-lin Liu
TAIPEI, Taiwan — In mid-April, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said it would
In mid-April, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said it would create an office to lift the fertility rate from 1.1 to 1.6.
create an office to lift the fertility rate from 1.1 to 1.6.
The Health Ministry said it would come up with short and long-term goals by June or July of this year.
According to the latest data, couples in Taiwan average 1.1 child each, whereas a total fertility rate of 1.6 is needed to balance the young and old populations.
Furthermore, according to the CIA World Factbook’s publication, Taiwan ranks third to last, at 222 out of 224 countries and territories, in 2016 for the lowest total fertility rate at 1.12 children born per woman.
The Health Ministry’s Wang Tsung-hsi (王宗曦) has commented on monetary incentives to promote birth rates, calling it a temporary and short-term solution to the problem. “Resources must be used in the right places,” which, according to Wang, is the reason behind founding the sub-replacement fertility office. [FULL STORY]
