China's condom conundrum: If you can't afford a taxed contraceptive, can you afford to raise a child?

China Adds Tax to Condoms as It Works to Boost Birth Rates

China will impose a value-added tax on contraceptive drugs and devices — including condoms — for the first time in three decades, its latest bid to reverse plunging birth rates that threaten to further slow its economy.

China's condom conundrum: If you can't afford a taxed contraceptive, can you afford to raise a child?

To boost the birth rate, China will impose a 13 per cent VAT on contraceptives starting January, ending a policy in place since 1993. The move comes as births drop from 18.8 million a decade ago to 9.54 million in 2024

What is China’s new ‘condom tax’ and why has it been introduced?

China’s latest bid to boost birth rates: make condoms more expensive

The new levy reflects a broader policy pivot, as a rapidly ageing China shifts from limiting births to encouraging people to have more children.

China adds tax to condoms as it works to boost birth rates

The extra cost quickly sparked debate on Chinese microblogging site Weibo. Read more at straitstimes.com.