According to the Ministry of the Interior, Taiwan’s total fertility rate reached a record low last year, dropping from 1.03 percent in 2009 to 0.895 percent in 2010. This drop resulted in Taiwan having the lowest fertility rate globally.
The Taipei-based China Times reported that the number of married couples in 2009 significantly decreased because that year was Guluan Nian (meaning lost couple), plus the global financial tsunami began to bite. Then the next year was the year of the Tiger, also not an auspicious year to have children. Still, the situation should improve soon because this year is the centennial anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China and next year will be the year of the Dragon, considered the best sign in the Chinese zodiac.
However, such small changes are unlikely to alter the overriding trend, which is that rates of marriage and child birth in Taiwan continue to drop year after year. This is undoubtedly the result of the long-term political and economic situation, plus changing attitudes towards marriage and having children. Many factors can be blamed, including the economic recession, rising commodity prices, declines in real wages, a lack of childcare assistance for women, the belief that marriages are impermanent, changes in gender roles, the rise of individualism and the reduced stigma attached to being single.
Even those who do marry often opt to have fewer or no children, according to the China Times. The decline in fertility from last year alone was so dramatic that it reached a level predicted for a decade from now, according to the original estimate by the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD). Low fertility in Taiwan will inevitably lead to a rapidly aging population, with less young wage-earners and more elderly dependents. This trend will inevitably weaken Taiwan’s productivity, and may lead to a recession and financial deterioration.
The United Daily News reported that comparing Taiwan’s statistics with those of the United nations and the data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the CEPD found that the aging population in Taiwan this year ranked 48th in the world. In 22 years, Taiwan will surpass Japan as the “oldest” country in the world.
The Ministry of the Interior has launched various campaigns and instituted policies to promote marriage and child birth. However, given the trends, it appears impractical to expect any substantial increase in Taiwan’s fertility rates. Perhaps it would be better to take a broader view and to map out a feasible population policy to more effectively maintain Taiwan’s productivity and competitiveness.
The China Times stressed that many countries have a clear immigration policy, based on an immigrant’s skills and on an immigration quota. While countries such as the US, UK, Canada, Australia and others are ethnic melting pots, even a small country such as Singapore is actively seeking skilled labor from outside. In order for a country to continuously progress, it must have potential growth momentum and fresh creative energy. Having an appropriate immigration policy that seeks to address a shortage of skilled labor is one way that a country can maintain this competitive edge.
Citing China’s intentions to attract 2,000 scientists and other skills professionals over the next five to ten years, and Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, and Japan revised immigration laws and policies to attract more international talent, eighteen business leaders and academics, issued a declaration that Taiwan should follow suit. The experts, including the president of Academia Sinica Wing Chi-huey, are recommending that the government sets up a ”Special Study Committee” to review Taiwan’s educational development, revamp laws and regulations and completely relax and change the outdated restriction on the employment, residency and retirement of foreign nationals in Taiwan.
The China Times said in an editorial that since a highly skilled workforce is the basis of national development, the government should not only pay attention to increasing the fertility rate, but also urgently consider adjusting the entire population structure to strengthen and safeguard Taiwan’s future competitiveness.