少子化為臺灣近年來最嚴重的人口問題，政府自1990年開始提出相關的措施，希望能提升生育率。生男偏好是少數國家特有的文化現象。本文利用Differences-in-Differences(DID)和Panel的研究方法，透過1980年至2005年的鄉鎮別和鄉鎮-教育別之生育率資料，探討生男偏好和政府政策對臺灣總生育率(Total fertility)的影響。政府政策分成兩種虛擬變數，分別討論宣導政策(口號)和實質補助政策對生育率的影響，並透過區域和教育程度虛擬變數研究不同群體受生男偏好和政策的影響差異。
本文實證結果顯示：生男偏好對臺灣總生育率的影響雖然存在，但並不嚴重；宣導政策對生育率的影響並不明確，實質補助政策對生育率的影響為正向顯著，政策效果會依不同教育程度存在差異，而女性教育程度的提高是使生育率下降的主因。

This research employs Taiwan’s fertility rate data from 1980 to 2005 to investigate the effects of son preference and government policy on fertility rate. Econometrically, both the Differences-in- Differences method and Panel analysis are adopted. We aim to understand the causes of low fertility rate and different impacts of the son preference and government policy across various groups of people.
The main findings of this paper include the following: (1) son preference could affects people’s fertility decision, but the marginal effect of son preference is insignificant; (2) policies related to oral propaganda and monetary subsidies are of significantly positive effects on women’s fertility decision but the marginal effect varies by region. Its effects also vary with people’s educational levels (3) female’s education has adverse impact on the rate of fertility..
It is concluded that the low rate of fertility in Taiwan is mainly due to the enhancement of female’s educational attachment. While government policies such as birth subsidies could, more or less, improve Taiwan’s fertility problem.

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