Taipei: Taiwan's Cabinet has approved a comprehensive package of payouts and subsidies designed to encourage childbirth among Taiwanese citizens and their spouses. This initiative, which includes cash incentives of NT$100,000 (US$3,320) for each newborn, aims to address the country's persistently low birth rate.

According to Focus Taiwan, the package is scheduled for implementation in 2026 and will standardize and increase childbirth allowances across various social insurance systems, as stated by Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han during a Cabinet press briefing. Presently, the payouts range from NT$39,000 to NT$70,000, varying with the mother's employment status.

Under the new scheme, every family will receive NT$100,000 per child, with twins being eligible for NT$200,000, in addition to any birth subsidies already provided by local governments. The package also plans to expand the existing subsidy program for assisted reproductive treatment, as explained by Shen Ching-fen, head of the Health Promotion Administration.

Since the launch of the program in July 2021, approximately 60,000 couples have benefited from government support, leading to over 30,000 births. To further promote in vitro fertilization (IVF), the government will increase its coverage of the procedure costs from 53 percent to 77 percent. Women under 45 can receive increased subsidies for up to three IVF treatment cycles, while subsidies for subsequent cycles will remain unchanged.

The treatment cycles, which typically span four to six weeks, include steps such as ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, laboratory fertilization, and embryo transfer. Additionally, the package offers subsidies for medical egg- and sperm-freezing for Taiwanese nationals aged 18 to 40 who face fertility risks due to illnesses like breast or blood cancers. Eligible women and men will receive NT$70,000 and NT$8,000, respectively, for each freezing procedure.

Minister without Portfolio Chen Shih-chung emphasized that this package is part of the government's broader strategy to increase childbirth rates in Taiwan, which is experiencing one of the world's fastest-declining birth rates. Data from the Ministry of the Interior indicates that Taiwan recorded 134,856 newborns in 2024, resulting in a crude birth rate of 5.76 per 1,000 and marking a ninth consecutive year of decline.