Taiwan’s fertility rate has declined dramatically over the past seventy years to about 1.05 children per woman today—well below the replacement rate of 2.1. This decline not only impacts population size, but also the structure of the population. As fertility falls the share of the population that are of working age also declines, while that of older people increases. This means that each worker must support, through his or her taxes, more retired people.
The Economist Intelligence Unit’s report, “The only way is up: Making Taiwan a better place to have a family” examines fertility in Taiwan. We interviewed experts and government officials and examined the correlation between fertility rates and selected variables across cities and counties in Taiwan. The report also examines the experiences of four other countries—Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and France. The report is sponsored by Merck, and supported by the European Chamber Of Commerce Taiwan (ECCT).
While parental leave, housing and day-care subsidies have all helped arrest declining fertility rates, there is no sustained recovery in Taiwan. We therefore ask three open questions to policymakers in the region. By seeking to answer these questions we believe that Taiwan will be on its way to rebuilding a stable and secure population.
- Instead of asking “what can be done” to improve fertility rates, ask “how can we encourage people to marry”?
- When people are fearful of their economic future, they are less likely to risk having children. How can Taiwan improve new married couples’ sense of security?
- Fertility clinics and IVF subsidies may allow couples to have children when previously they were unable to. Can localised subsidies encourage competition between cities and counties?
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