Taiwanese Government Approves Increasing Birth Rate
For the first 9 months of this year, the number of new born babies has surged to 16% in Taiwan after the Taiwanese government had offered subsidies and financial support to young married couples to boost the country’s falling birth rate, a Taiwanese official said Sunday. Taiwan has one of the world’s lowest fertility rates and thus the government offered tax benefits and subsidies such as housing support in a bid to increase the country’s fertility rate.
There were a total 142,345 new born babies from January to September of this year. The figure was 19,567 higher as compared to the same period last year or a 15.9% increase, in reference to statistics released Saturday by Taiwan’s interior ministry. For the month of September alone, a total of 18,003 new born babies were recorded in the island country, a consecutive 21st month high.
The Taiwanese government had announced a $79.8 billion budget as assistance in the form of subsidies to young married couples. Married young couples may also avail other forms of incentives such as cash gifts, tax reduction, childcare assistance and financial help with regard to fertility treatment. The country has experienced falling birth rates after year 2000. In that year, 305, 300 were recorded as new born babies as year 2000 was considered a lucky year in Chinese zodiac, the Year of the Dragon.