Taipei is rolling out a first-in-Taiwan cash payment for new mothers, good news for families having babies in the city and part of a wider push to make having children cheaper.

• Every woman who gives birth will get NT$30,000 for postpartum meals and recovery, with no income limit.
• About 11,000 mothers a year are expected to receive it, starting in 2027.
• Taipei is also more than doubling its egg-freezing subsidy for women aged 25 to 40 whose health or treatment could affect fertility.
• Free short-term babysitting vouchers, a bigger pregnancy taxi subsidy, and a special clinic for first-time parents all arrive later this year.
• The city wants to cut land and housing taxes to zero for married and child-raising families, and is reserving 10,000 social housing units for them.

Outlook: Expect other Taiwanese cities to face pressure to match the handouts as the island's birth rate keeps falling.