Taiwan Survey: Many Want More Savings Before Having Children
Wednesday, November 4, 2026201 words3 minutes282 reads
An online survey in Taiwan highlights a gap between wanting children and feeling financially prepared. Nearly six in ten respondents wanted at least NT$1 million in readily available savings, excluding money reserved for a home, before considering parenthood.
Taipei Fertility Clinic surveyed 1,244 adults aged 26 to 45, mostly people who wanted children or were married without them. Three quarters thought a household with two earners should receive at least NT$90,000 monthly after tax before having children. About two thirds reported individual annual incomes below NT$700,000. These figures concern different units and periods; they cannot be directly compared to establish a household income shortfall.
Practical support also mattered. Around 44% sought more accessible, affordable childcare, and 36% wanted flexible working hours. A doctor involved in the survey said some couples feared career consequences. The clinic proposed government-supported savings accounts for prospective parents and workplace-area childcare, but these remain proposals rather than implemented policies.
The findings capture respondents' preferred financial cushions, not an objective threshold for raising children. Nor does this online sample represent all Taiwanese adults. Families make different choices with different resources. The responses nevertheless illustrate how uncertainty about costs, care and careers can complicate the decision to become parents.
