Tsai Ing-wen admits failure to reverse low birthrate crisis despite policy boosts

Former President Tsai Ing-wen recently offered a candid reflection and analysis on the national security crisis posed by Taiwan’s long-standing demographic decline. She acknowledged that despite her administration’s intense efforts over the past eight years to promote various childcare allowances, upgrade long-term care services, and expand social welfare policies, objective data indicate that the severe trend of shrinking family sizes has not been reversed. Tsai also cited her own experience, noting that although she has never had children of her own, this life experience has not isolated her from society. Instead, it has strengthened her resolve to protect and care for the next generation of Taiwan. This sincere statement not only demonstrated a rare humility and candor among political figures but also refocused public attention on the most pressing existential challenge facing Taiwan today: the demographic crisis.

Looking back at the governance trajectory of the past eight years, the dual pressures of shrinking family sizes and an aging population have remained a core concern for successive administrations. The Tsai administration progressively expanded the "The state helps you raise children from age zero to six" policy, significantly increasing childcare allowances, boosting the coverage of public childcare and quasi-public kindergartens, and implementing the Long-Term Care 2.0 social safety net. However, these policy enhancements and resource injections did not translate into a rebound in the birth rate as expected. Taiwan’s total fertility rate has continued to hover at the bottom of ultra-low levels in recent years. This highlights that the demographic decline is not merely a matter of the amount of childcare subsidies, but is deeply intertwined with overall social structures and economic development, involving the multiple pressures faced by younger generations in contemporary society.

In her remarks, Tsai precisely identified the deep structural factors behind the demographic phenomenon, including the high housing prices, slow wage growth, uneven distribution of childcare resources, and a workplace environment that is not sufficiently friendly to women of childbearing age and dual-income households. Soaring living costs have deterred many young people from taking the step of starting a family. Furthermore, if workplace culture lacks flexible working hours or substantive guarantees for maternity leave with pay, many women find themselves trapped in a dilemma between career development and the decision to have children. These issues are interrelated and cannot be resolved in the short term by a single ministry or a single policy tool. They require systematic, cross-ministerial reforms to fundamentally reshape Taiwan’s social and economic ecosystem.

Acknowledging that her administration was not perfect, Tsai emphasized that the government’s efforts must not cease. It must continue and firmly pursue reforms in key areas such as housing justice, income distribution, the improvement of childcare services, and the creation of a more friendly workplace environment. The continuation and deepening of these policies are not only the responsibility of the current government but also a challenge that must be jointly borne by all generations in Taiwan. Only when the younger generation feels that society provides sufficient security and hope for upward mobility, and sees stability and guarantees for their future lives, will they be able to regain confidence in starting a family and having children. This structural transformation requires long-term resource investment and the building of social consensus.

From a macro perspective, the demographic decline is no longer just a crisis of population structure; it directly impacts Taiwan’s future labor supply, economic growth momentum, national security, and the financial sustainability of social insurance. This profound analysis by Tsai, made after leaving office, transcends short-term partisan political attacks and points directly to the lifeline of Taiwan’s long-term development. Caring for the next generation of Taiwan has never been solely the responsibility of parents; it is a project requiring the mobilization of the entire nation. Only by closely integrating housing, labor, economic, and welfare policies to create an environment that is truly fair and supportive for young people can Taiwan find a path to sustainable survival amid the wave of demographic decline.

(Source: Central News Agency)