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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Economy & Trade

Taiwan launches new strategy to combat declining population, projected to halve in 50 years

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • Taiwan's total population is projected to fall by 48% to 12.15 million by 2075, with the birth rate expected to drop below 100,000 this year.
  • The government has initiated a new national strategy to address population changes, starting with a 'Family Support Chapter' and planning future chapters on elderly care, talent cultivation, and global recruitment.
  • The strategy aims to reduce the financial and risk burdens on families related to childbirth, childcare, education, employment, and housing, shifting towards a model of shared public support for child-rearing.

Taiwan faces a stark demographic challenge, with projections indicating its total population could nearly halve in the next 50 years.

The National Development Council released new estimates showing that by 2075, Taiwan's population is expected to shrink by 48% from 2026 levels, reaching just 12.15 million. This year alone, the number of newborns is anticipated to fall below 100,000. In response, the Executive Yuan has launched a comprehensive national strategy to bolster resilience against these demographic shifts.

The government's responsibility is not just to increase birth subsidies, but to reduce the costs and risks borne by families in areas such as childbirth, childcare, education, employment, and housing.

— Li Hui-chihTaiwan's Executive Yuan spokesperson explaining the new population strategy.

The new strategy, termed 'Taiwan Population Policy New Strategy,' begins with a 'Family Support Chapter.' This initiative elevates population and family policies to the national development level, focusing on sustainability, intergenerational development, and family needs. It aims to systematically build a policy framework that supports marriage, childbirth, and child-rearing.

Key measures under the 'Family Support Chapter' include increasing subsidies, reducing burdens, offering more flexibility, and expanding care services. The plan addresses five major areas: ensuring safe childbirth, strengthening childcare, enhancing education, promoting a friendly workplace, and easing housing pressures. This approach moves beyond simple subsidies to a shared responsibility model involving the government, families, and society in raising children. Future plans include chapters dedicated to the elderly, talent cultivation, and attracting international professionals, creating a holistic, life-cycle approach to population policy.

The 'Family Support Chapter' is an important starting point for the new population strategy. In the future, the government will successively plan 'Elderly Generation Chapter,' 'All-Age Talent Cultivation Chapter,' and 'Global Talent Recruitment Chapter.'

— Li Hui-chihTaiwan's Executive Yuan spokesperson outlining the multi-stage approach to the new population strategy.
About this summary

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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