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Taipei, Sept. 16 (CNA) The average age of Taiwanese women giving birth to their first child has increased by three years over the past decade, but the number of marriages and births in society remains on the rebound, the Ministry of the Interior said Wednesday.

Jair Lan-pin (翟蘭萍), deputy director of the ministry's Department of Household Registration, said women gave birth at the average age of 30.5 years old in 2014, up from 27.4 years old in 2004, demonstrating that women are giving birth later than in the past.

But Taiwan's fertility rate -- the number of children the average woman would have in her lifetime -- has risen in recent years, from 0.9 in 2010 to 1.17 in 2014.

A total of 136,935 children were born in the first eight months of 2015, about 3.4 percent more than during the same period last year.

About 210,000 children are expected to be born in 2015 as a whole, which would be about the same as in 2014 and more than in any year between 2005 and 2013 except for 2012.

A total of 98,000 couples were married in the January to August period, up 2.9 percent from last year and on pace for 150,000 marriages for the year as a whole.

The only other year Taiwan has had 150,000 marriages between 2004 and 2014 was 2011, according to ministry figures.

The upswings in the two categories indicate that the government's efforts to promote births and marriage have begun to show positive results, Jair said.

After the number of births set a new low for Taiwan of 166,886 in 2010, the government unveiled various incentives to encourage more births and marriages.

The number of new births rose to 196,627 in 2011 and 229,481 in 2012 before falling back to 199,113 in 2013 and then recovering to 210,383 in 2014.

Taiwan has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, and its society is rapidly aging. The National Development Council expects Taiwan to become a super-aged society -- defined as 20 percent of the population being aged 65 or older -- by 2025.

資料來源: Focus Taiwan