Taiwan sees second-lowest monthly births in May

Taiwan recorded 6,832 births last month, the second-lowest monthly total on record after February's all-time low of 6,523, extending a 29-month streak of year-on-year declines in births, government data showed today.

The Ministry of the Interior published annual household registration statistics showing that Taiwan's population stood at 23,252,641 at the end of last month, down 102,829 from a year earlier and 9,903 fewer than the previous month.

Taiwan had 6,832 births last month, compared with 8,144 in April and 8,433 a year earlier, the second-lowest monthly total on record after February's 6,523.

The crude birth rate last month was 3.64 per 1,000 people, led by Taitung County at 5.09, followed by Penghu County at 4.64 and Hsinchu City at 4.37, while Keelung recorded the lowest at 1.9, followed by Miaoli County at 2.69 and Chiayi County at 2.75.

There were 15,158 deaths last month, with a crude death rate of 7.67 per 1,000 people, down 224 from the same period last year and 836 from April.

Taiwan became a super-aged society last year, meaning that 20 percent of its population is aged 65 or older.

As of the end of last month, the population aged up to 14 stood at 2,642,980, accounting for 11.37 percent of the total.

Those aged 15 to 64 totaled 15,859,310, or 68.20 percent, and those aged 65 and above reached 4,750,351, or 20.43 percent.