TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan registered 17,000 more deaths than births from January to May, the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) said Thursday (June 10).

According to the latest government data, 59,481 people were born during the period, a drop of 9.21 percent compared to the first five months of 2020. Meanwhile, deaths rose by 3.14 percent over the same period, totaling 77,010, UDN reported.

In January, the number of births dropped below 10,000 but recovered in the following months, reaching 12,300 in May, though 15,108 people died the same month.

The overall population of the country fell from 23.56 million at the end of last year to just below 23.5 million by the end of May, the MOI said. Migration has failed to make up for the decline, as only 371,000 people moved to the country in the first five months of the year compared to the 415,000 who emigrated.

Taiwan's population is rapidly aging, causing concern for the vitality of its economy and affordability of its social welfare system.