Mayoral candidate in Taiwan proposes legalising polygamy to tackle low fertility rate
Many Taiwanese have criticised the idea for not tackling the root of the problem.
Su Hui Huang, a 49-year-old independent candidate running for mayor of Taiwan's New Taipei City, has proposed legalizing polygamy as a solution to the city's declining birthrate. In an election campaign, Huang suggested that men could have two wives, and women could have two husbands, limited to unmarried individuals.
Huang acknowledged that his proposal was unconventional and aimed at addressing the "increasingly low fertility rate" in Taiwan. The total fertility rate, which estimates the average number of children a woman is expected to have, dropped from 0.885 in 2024 to 0.695 in 2025. Births in Taiwan have been declining for the 10th consecutive year, reaching a record low of 107,812 in 2025.
Su expressed concern that if the birthrate continues to decline, Taiwan's population could nearly halve by 2075. He clarified that his proposal was not about encouraging multiple spouses but about allowing two unmarried partners per person. Huang stated that allowing already-married individuals to enter into polygamous relationships would cause societal problems, which is why the proposal is limited to unmarried individuals.
Huang's proposal has faced criticism, with many online commentators suggesting that the birthrate issue is more related to financial concerns than polygamy. In New Taipei City, Huang is contesting the mayoral election against the ruling Democratic Progressive Party candidate Su Chiao-hui and the Kuomintang candidate Lee Shu-chuan.
Written by urgent.news from Mothership's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
