China to Increase Condom Tax on January 1 as Citizens Resist Having More Children

• Starting January 1, 2026, China will impose a 13% value-added tax on contraceptives, including condoms, as the government seeks to address declining birth rates amid concerns about population shrinkage.

China is set to impose a 13% value-added tax on contraceptive products, including condoms, starting January 1, 2026, marking the first time such products have been taxed in more than three decades.

The move comes as the country grapples with declining birth rates and aims to encourage families to have more children.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, 9.5 million babies were born in China in 2024, a significant drop from 14.7 million in 2019. The nation’s deaths have outpaced births, and in 2023, India overtook China as the world’s most populous country.

The tax change has been met with criticism and social media jokes in China, with many noting that raising a child is far more expensive than using condoms—even if taxed. Hu Lingling, a mother of a 5-year-old, called the measure “ruthless” and joked that she would “lead the way in abstinence” as a form of rebellion.

Experts have warned that the tax could lead to higher rates of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, particularly among economically disadvantaged populations.

Qian Cai, Director of the University of Virginia’s Demographics Research Group, said, “Higher prices may reduce access to contraceptives… potentially leading to more abortions and higher health-care costs.”

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China previously enforced strict population controls, banning couples from having more than one child between 1980 and 2015, often through fines or forced abortions. The policy was relaxed to two children in 2015 and then three children in 2021 as the government sought to reverse declining birth rates.

Senior scientist Yi Fuxian of the University of Wisconsin-Madison argued that taxing contraceptives is “only logical” as the government shifts from limiting population growth to encouraging higher fertility, treating contraceptives as ordinary consumer commodities rather than population-control tools.

While the tax is intended to incentivize larger families, many observers note that the impact on reproductive decisions may be limited, given the far higher financial and practical costs of raising children.