China has drawn public backlash after announcing plans to impose a new tax on contraceptive products in a bid to curb its declining birth rate. For the first time in more than three decades, items such as condoms and birth control drugs will no longer be exempt from value-added tax.
Under the revised tax framework, these products will attract a 13 percent VAT starting January 1. Authorities say the move is part of broader efforts to encourage childbirth as the country faces a deepening demographic crisis.
China’s population has been shrinking steadily in recent years. Official figures show that just 9.5 million babies were born in 2024, a sharp fall from 14.7 million births in 2019. With deaths now outnumbering births, China also lost its status as the world’s most populous nation to India in 2023.
The policy announcement quickly triggered criticism on social media, where many users questioned the logic behind the move. Several argued that the cost of raising a child far outweighs the price of contraception, even with the added tax. Critics also pointed to rising living costs, housing pressures, and job insecurity as the real reasons many couples are delaying or avoiding having children.
Some parents have reacted with open frustration. One mother, Hu Lingling, said the decision only reinforced her determination not to have another child, joking that she would instead “lead the way in abstinence.” She described the policy as ironic, especially given China’s history of strict population control measures that once discouraged large families.
The move has reignited debate about whether financial pressure on contraception can realistically reverse long-term demographic trends, or if deeper economic and social reforms are needed to make parenthood more appealing to younger generations.
