Patricia Hsu, a 45-year-old public relations manager in Taipei, has been referred to as 'that old spinster' behind her back by some of her colleagues who are jealous of her excellent work performance.
'I was too busy studying and working when I was young and now I am well past the age to marry. I don't think I should find a guy to marry just for marriage's sake,' she said when asked why she remained single. 'After all, I lead a comfortable life and if I can't find my 'Mr Right', I shouldn't make myself miserable by getting just anyone as my husband.'
About 300 kilometres from Taipei, Tsai Yi-chung, a 28-year-old Kaohsiung-based courier company worker, said both he and his wife, a factory worker, did not want to have children. 'Together we make only NT$45,000 [HK$10,800] a month and we can't afford to raise children,' said Tsai, the only son in his family, meaning he has a duty to take care of his aged parents.
Hsu and Tsai are among many Taiwanese who either remain single or choose not to have children for various reasons, but their choices illustrate Taiwan's drastically declining birth rate.
'If this condition does not change, Taiwan will be destroyed naturally without even needing an enemy,' said Sun Te-hsiung, former chairman of the Population Association of Taiwan.
Sun's warning echoes growing concerns about the economic and social consequences of a low birth rate in Taiwan.
With the number of newborns at just 191,310 last year, down almost 4 per cent from 2008, Taiwan's birth rate slipped to a meagre 8.29 per 1,000 people.