Taiwan Urges Couples To Make More Babies In Year Of The Tiger


A top Taiwanese official urged couples to ignore a belief that children born in the Year of the Tiger are too wild, urging them to make babies after the island's low birth rate fell even further.

Vice interior minister Chien Tai-lang "is worried about this year's birth rates and urges the public to disregard superstitions, so they can get married and have babies," an aide quoted him as saying.

The plea came as figures from the ministry showed that just 57,088 babies were born in the first four months of this year, down by nearly 5,000 from the same period last year.

Observers blamed this on the idea that 2010 is a Year of the Tiger, with some parents anxious to avoid having children under one of the fiercest signs of the Chinese zodiac.

Among many manifestations of this belief, some ethnic Chinese believe that Tigers should not serve as best men or bridesmaids at weddings because they are filled with the animal's wild attributes, and bring bad luck.

Government figures showed that 271,450 babies were born in 2008, the last Year of the Tiger, a fall of 54,550 from the previous year.

Taiwan already has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, affecting everything from the education system to health care.

The island's birth rate stood at 8.29 per 1,000 people last year according to official figures. That compares with a global average of more than 20 births per 1,000 people, according to the United Nations.

There were 191,310 babies born in Taiwan last year, down 3.74 percent from the previous year.

The island's marriage rates also fell to a record low in 2009, with approximately 117,000 couples tying the knot, down from a record high of 180,000 in 2000.

Taiwan was also considering paying people to have children in order to boost the island's dwindling birth rate.

Among the proposals being considered is a monthly subsidy of $5,000 Taiwan (US$158) for all children under the age of three, the interior ministry said in April.

Fox 5

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