Taiwan's elderly population projected to double in 14 years

Dec 29, 2011, 8:00 GMT

Taipei - The proportion of Taiwan's population aged 65 and older was projected to double by 2025, health authorities said Thursday.

Those in the age group now account for 10.8 per cent of Taiwan's 23 million people, but by 2025, that proportion would tip over 20 per cent, the Health Department said.

Taiwan would then enter the same league as Japan, where 23.1 per cent of the population was elderly in 2010.

The island territory already has the lowest birth rate in the world. Its fertility rate, or the average number of children women have during their childbearing years, hit a record low of 0.9 last year, much lower than the 2.1 population replacement rate.

Demographers were hoping for a bump in the birth rate in 2012 because it would be the year of the dragon in the Chinese zodiac, a traditionally good year for a child to be born.

Ageing populations see a greater burden put on social programmes such as pension programmes and health care and fewer working-age people to support them with their tax money.

Scrambling to forestall a demographics crisis, Taiwan's government has unveiled a range of subsidies and programmes to try to increase births.

Last week, Vice Premier Sean Chen announced that low-income families with children age 5 and under would be able to claim 25,000 Taiwan dollars (825 US dollars) on their annual tax return. Families with one stay-at-home parent would get a monthly subsidy of 2,500 Taiwan dollars.

With 16 days to go before Taiwan elections, all three presidential candidates have promised a public day care system as a policy priority.