Taiwan's Demographic Crisis: Medical Universities Struggle to Fill Seats, Board Chairman Sounds Alarm

The Impact of Declining Birthrates on Higher Education and the Healthcare System in Taiwan.

The effects of Taiwan's declining birthrate are being felt throughout the education system, with even prestigious institutions like medical universities facing significant challenges. At a gathering of the Kaohsiung Medical University's (KMU) Northern Alumni Association in Taipei on the 4th, Chairman Chen Chien-chih expressed deep concern over the situation. The incoming freshman class this year is the smallest in five years, foreshadowing potential difficulties in higher education admissions in the coming three years.

The shrinking pool of potential students necessitates that universities, including KMU, actively seek international students to fill their classrooms. This shift signals a broader challenge for Taiwan's higher education landscape in the face of demographic changes.

Furthermore, the current situation in education reflects problems in the healthcare environment. According to the North District Alumni Association's honorary advisor, Associate Dean of Shin Kong Hospital, Hung Tzu-jen, the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI) total budget payment system saw the growth of the NHI budget decrease dramatically, from 14% to 3.4%. This has created dramatic changes in the medical landscape. The focus on dentistry over medical specialties, and smaller specialties over rare and complex fields of study, has now become a trend.