PINGTUNG HAS NEGATIVE GROWTH IN POPULATION FOR 20 YEARS|屏東人口負成長20年 今年減逾5千人

The total population of Pingtung County in 2016 is around 5000 people less than that of the same period in 2015, entering the 20th year of negative growth in population. Even though half of Pintung's local townships and cities provide childbirth subsidy, the effect remains to be seen. To encourage people to have children, 15 townships in Pingtung County set a subsidy program to give parents financial aid. However, the program was of little effect to boost childbirth. By the end of Dec. 2016, the population of Pingtung County was 83,5792 people, which is 5461 people less than that of the same period in 2015. Pingtung County has suffered negative population growth for 20 consecutive years. ==MS. CHEN local resident== It costs a lot to raise a child. Diapers, formula milk, and so on costs an astonishing amount of money. ==MR. HUANG local== There are fewer job opportunities here. Even if there were, the salary is really low in Pingtung. It is pretty difficult for a family of four like me to raise two children. Only 6 of the 33 townships had an increase in population last year. Ligang Township, which used to offer the highest childbirth subsidy across the nation, suffered negative population growth in 2016 as well. ==CHENG WEN-HUA Pingtung Civil Affairs Bureau Director== Childbirth subsidy cannot solve the problems of raising children. Pingtung Civil Affairs Bureau said that the central government's uneven resource distribution to agricultural based counties hampers Pingtung's development. ==CHENG WEN-HUA Pingtung Civil Affairs Bureau Director== The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Poor counties have no chance of receiving centrally-allotted tax revenues. Therefore, it restricts the development of Pingtung. Pingtung County government is actively promoting local transportation to upgrade industries in Pingtung. The County government hopes that the locals can be aware of Pingtung's progression and understand that they do not have to move far away to live a better life. TRANSLATED BY：ARIEL HSIEH 發放津貼，鼓勵民眾生育，屏東縣33個鄉鎮市，有15個發放津貼，不過，效果似乎有限，截至去年12月底，屏東縣總人口數83,5792人，比起去年少了5461人，已經是連續20年人口負成長。 ==民眾 陳小姐== 養一個小孩真的很花錢 尿布奶粉 林林總總加起來 其實都好嚇人 ==民眾 黃先生== 就業機會比較少 工作的機會就算有 薪水都很低 現在像我們這樣 一家四口要扶養兩個小孩 真的是滿困難的 除了泰武、牡丹鄉在內的五個原鄉，以及東港鎮人口數成長，包括曾經是全國最優惠生育補助福利的里港鄉，去年人口數也是呈現下滑。 ==屏東縣民政處長 鄭文華== 不是生個小孩 鄉鎮市公所 給幾萬塊補助可以解決 將來的一個養育的問題 人口持續探底，民政處直言，中央長期資源分配不均，對農業大縣相當不公平。 ==屏東縣民政處長 鄭文華== 這個富者愈富 窮者愈窮 窮縣永遠是分配不到統籌(分配)款 對屏東縣整體的發展 當然也受到很大的一個限制 積極推動交通建設，讓產業轉型升級，縣府希望民眾有感屏東縣的改變，不需要往外發展，留在自己的故鄉生活。 記者 李淑蘭 孟昭權 屏東報導