China is set to impose a 13% tax on condoms to curb the declining birth rate. Citizens will have to bear this additional tax burden from next year. Not just condoms, Chinese citizens will have to pay the additional tax on all types of contraceptive products. The country has not increased prices on such products since 1993. As a result of this newly imposed tax, condom prices in China are set to rise after almost 32 years.
But why this decision?
Questions are being raised, has the Xi Jinping administration decided to impose this added tax on contraceptives, keeping only the economic considerations in mind? According to some informed circles, this policy of keeping prices uniform was once adopted to promote the 'one child' policy. But China's position on population has changed. The one-child policy of China was in effect until 2016. As a result, any couple could have a maximum of one child. But later it was withdrawn.
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Meanwhile, the birth rate in China has currently decreased significantly. Among the new generation of that country, a reluctance has developed regarding marriage. Many are choosing freedom instead of marriage and family life. In 2024, only 9.54 million child births were recorded in the country, which is unprecedentedly low compared to previous years. Notably, the cost of children's education and maintenance in China has also increased considerably in the past decade. This influences the new generation not to have children.
Meanwhile, due to strict policies on birth control being in place for a long time, a large portion of that country's population is standing at the threshold of old age. As a result, if the number of young people in the country decreases, the country's economy may suffer – this possibility cannot be dismissed entirely. Therefore, the Xi Jinping government is taking this step to increase the population growth rate in the country. It has been learned that China has excluded birth contraceptives from the list of tax-free products, prepared for 2026.
