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China has decided to impose a 13% value-added tax on contraceptives such as condoms and birth control pills, aiming to boost its declining birth rate. The policy is intended to discourage contraception by raising prices, but skepticism about its effectiveness is widespread. Despite abolishing the one-child policy and later allowing two and even three children, China’s birth rate has continued to fall. Both the number of newborns and the total fertility rate have dropped to nearly half of their levels a decade ago, while population decline persists. The new tax reflects the government’s growing urgency. Public reaction, however, has been largely negative. On social media, users mock the policy, arguing that the real barrier to childbirth is the high cost of raising children, not the affordability of contraceptives. Experts also note that taxing contraceptives is unlikely to significantly increase birth rates. Instead, critics warn of serious side effects. Higher prices may discourage students and low-income groups from using contraceptives, increasing the risk of unintended pregnancies. Reduced condom use could also accelerate the spread of sexually transmitted infections, which are already on the rise in China. While framed as a pro-natalist measure, the policy is increasingly criticized for threatening public health rather than addressing the structural causes of low fertility.

Even China Is Stepping In to Address Low Birth Rates