More News : In a bold move to combat declining birth rates, Taiwan’s government has announced a significant increase in financial assistance for couples opting for in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Under the new proposal, eligible couples could receive up to ₹6 lakh (NT$240,000) in subsidies to cover the high costs of fertility treatment.
Until now, the government provided around ₹3 lakh per couple for IVF procedures. With birth rates hitting record lows, authorities have decided to double the financial aid to encourage more families to have children. The proposal, which is expected to gain cabinet approval soon, will extend support not just for the initial round of IVF but also for multiple treatment phases — from the second to the sixth round — with the same level of funding.
The aim is to reduce the financial burden on couples who often need several attempts for a successful pregnancy. Many give up due to the high costs associated with fertility treatments.
Like Taiwan, other East Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea, and China are grappling with plummeting birth rates. Younger generations are delaying or avoiding marriage and parenthood, raising alarms about shrinking workforces and long-term population decline.
In response, various nations have introduced incentives to reverse this trend:
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China launched a national child-care subsidy in January 2025, offering families with children under three years old ¥3,600 (₹43,000) annually. Some provinces also provide cash rewards for childbirth.
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Russia, facing similar demographic challenges, now offers ₹6.65 lakh for the first child and ₹8.70 lakh for the second. In some regions, even pregnant schoolgirls are reportedly being incentivized with cash.
Taiwan’s enhanced IVF subsidy marks a critical step in tackling its demographic crisis and shows a growing trend among governments to directly support reproductive health and family planning in hopes of securing their future populations.
