The influence of cross-border marriage on reproductive behavior in Taiwan

Yu-Hua Chen, National Taiwan University

Few efforts have been made to explore two emerging demographic features, the extra low fertility of Taiwan population, and the increase in cross-border marriages. The objective of this research is to provide comparative estimates of fertility of marriage immigrants from Mainland China, Southeast Asia, and other countries. Exploring 2003 Survey of Foreign and Mainland Chinese Spouses’ Living Conditions, this study gives us a first glimpse of how prevalent cross-border marriages are in Taiwan. The fertility results reveal a singularly important conclusion: the substantial number of babies born to immigrant mothers has made an important contribution to total fertility rates in recent years. However, the average number of children born to a marriage immigrant is still lower than the replacement level. More importantly, some couples may have strong preference for a son. In addition, I will categorize major reproductive patterns in cross-border marriages and discuss policy implications in Asian countries with increasing marriage immigrants.