Taipei: Taiwan's Cabinet has approved a new package of payouts and subsidies aimed at encouraging childbirth, Focus Taiwan reported. The initiative offers 100,000 New Taiwan dollars ($3,320) for each newborn and is set to be effective in 2026. The plan seeks to standardize and increase childbirth allowances across social insurance systems, ensuring that all families, regardless of the mother's employment status, will receive the payment for every child born.

According to Anadolu Agency, the package also includes expanded subsidies for assisted reproductive treatments. Since 2021, approximately 60,000 couples have benefited from such measures, resulting in more than 30,000 births. The government has pledged to cover 77% of the cost for in-vitro fertilization (IVF), an increase from the previous 53%, and will provide subsidies for up to three IVF cycles for women under 45.

Additionally, the plan offers subsidies for egg-freezing and sperm-freezing for Taiwanese nationals aged 18 to 40 who are at risk of fertility loss due to illnesses. These efforts form part of Taiwan's broader strategy to tackle its rapidly declining birth rate. In 2024, Taiwan recorded 134,856 newborns, corresponding to a birth rate of 5.76 per 1,000, marking the ninth consecutive year of decline.

The National Development Council has projected that Taiwan will become one of the world's oldest societies by 2060, with the elderly population expected to rise to more than 41%.