ISTANBUL 

Taiwan's Cabinet approved a new package of payouts and subsidies Thursday to encourage childbirth, offering 100,000 New Taiwan dollars ($3,320) for each newborn, Focus Taiwan reported.

The plan, effective in 2026, aims to standardize and increase childbirth allowances across social insurance systems. Under the new scheme, all families, regardless of the employment status of the mother, will receive the payment for every child born.

The package also expands subsidies for assisted reproductive treatments. Since 2021, about 60,000 couples have benefited, resulting in more than 30,000 births.

The government will now cover 77% of the cost for in-vitro fertilization (IVF), up from 53%, with subsidies for up to three IVF cycles for women under 45.

Additionally, the plan includes subsidies for egg-freezing and sperm-freezing for Taiwanese nationals aged 18 to 40 at risk of fertility loss due to illnesses.

The initiative is part of Taiwan's broader efforts to address its rapidly declining birth rate. In 2024, Taiwan recorded 134,856 newborns, a birth rate of 5.76 per 1,000, marking the ninth consecutive year of decline.

The National Development Council predicts Taiwan will become one of the world’s oldest societies by 2060, with its elderly population projected to rise to more than 41%.​​​​​​​