World · 18 December 2025
China to tax condoms to boost birth rate
China has ended its 30-year tax exemption on contraceptives, imposing a 13% value-added tax on condoms and other contraceptive products from January 1, 2026. The policy reversal aims to boost plummeting birth rates after births fell to just 9.5 million in 2024, roughly half the 18.8 million recorded in 2016. Experts warn the move could increase unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections while questioning its effectiveness given the high costs of raising children in China.
Reported by Time · How we write briefs