Li Maosheng, an authority on reproductive medicine, is bearish on the birth rate this year and predicts that the number of births may be less than 90,000.

Today is the National Day. Although many National Day babies have been registered, Li Maosheng, counselor of the Presidential Office and domestic authority on reproductive medicine, pointed out that young people cannot have children unless they get married. He is optimistic about the fertility rate this year. He predicts that the number of births this year will be less than 90,000. The challenge of low birthrate is becoming more and more serious. He calls on the government and the private sector to continue to work together to diversify people's willingness to marry and have children, and to jointly reverse the crisis of low birthrate.

Li Maosheng pointed out that since 2020, the number of deaths has been greater than the number of births. Deaths have crossed for six consecutive years, and the natural increase and decrease in the population have reduced the total number of more than 335,000 people. According to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Interior, the number of newborns from January to September this year was 69,446, a decrease of more than 11,935 people from the same period last year, a decrease of 14.67%, setting a record low for the same period in history. The average birth rate per month is only more than 7,000 people. The "life is worse than death" situation is likely to continue this year.

Li Maosheng said that the National Development Council released the latest population estimate report, which estimated that there would be only 94,000 newborns in 2026. He also pointed out that Taiwan's birth rate is low, mainly due to non-marriage, late marriage and the aging of childbearing. However, he said that factors such as high housing and commodity prices and the high economic pressure of having children make him bearish on the birth rate this year. "It is very likely that it will not even reach 90,000."

He called on Taiwan's low birthrate to be a very serious national security issue. The government still needs to continue to stabilize housing prices so that young people can start a family and live and work in peace and contentment. He suggested that the government strengthen family values ​​in compulsory education to increase people's willingness to marry and have children. Society and various industries must also create a friendly parenting environment so that more families are willing to welcome new lives, so that we can jointly reverse the low birthrate crisis.