Taiwan sees record number of births in 2012

TAIPEI - Nearly 235,000 babies were born in Taiwan last year, marking a record-high for the past ten years, the island's civil affairs authority said Tuesday.

The number of babies born last year topped 234,599, and the total fertility rate in 2012 reached 1.265, up from 0.895 in 2010, said the authority, adding that the record came amid the island's policies to encourage childbirth and the people's enthusiasm for giving birth in the year of the dragon.

Long challenged by an aging population and a low birth rate, Taiwan introduced a series of policies last year to encourage its citizens to have more children, including hosting matchmaking activities and offering allowances to couples with children under 2 years old.

Taiwanese authorities estimate that over 200,000 babies will be born this year, and the fertility rate will stand at 1.2.