The issue of low birthrates has become a matter of national security in multiple countries in East Asia. In 2023, South Korea’s fertility rate was strikingly low at 0.72 children per woman, the lowest in the world. In response, President Yoon Suk-yeol declared a population emergency. Similarly, Japan has reported a population decrease of over 830,000, its largest decline since 1950. Taiwan and China are also facing population declines as birth rates continue to fall. In this episode of “Taiwan Talks,” we explore the reasons and implications of population decline and aging in East Asia, as well as how these demographic changes will affect regional economies and reshape the global landscape.

Our guests are:

Chien Yi-chun
- National Chengchi University Department of Political Science Assistant Professor

Amélie Keyser-Verreault
- University of Tübingen European Research Center on Contemporary Taiwan, Researcher

Chapters
00:00:00 – Introduction
00:01:07 – Why Are Populations in East Asia Expected To Drop?
00:04:02 – Hyper-Aging Societies in East Asia
00:06:36 – What Is Causing Low Birth Rates?
00:12:01 – Gender Roles and Care Responsibility
00:16:48 – Pro-Natal Policies by East Asian Governments
00:23:17 – Would Immigration Offset Population Decline?
00:25:55 – Stigma on Role of Women



#EastAsia #SouthKorea #Japan #China #BirthRate #PopulationDecline #Aging #Family #Gender #ChildCare #Immigration #Taiwan #TaiwanTalks