Condom Prices to Rise, Chinese Netizens Want to Stockpile

JAKARTA - Condom prices are going viral in China. The reason is not a health campaign, but a plan to raise prices from the world's largest condom manufacturer.

Disadur dari The Independent, Jumat, 24 April, tagar "harga kondom naik" sudah dilihat lebih dari 60 juta kali di Weibo. Banyak warganet mulai membahas stok kondom setelah Karex Bhd, produsen asal Malaysia, memberi sinyal kenaikan harga.

Karex CEO Goh Miah Kiat said the company plans to raise prices by 20-30 percent. Prices could still rise again if supply chain disruptions due to the Iranian crisis continue.

Karex produces more than 5 billion condoms per year. The company also supplies major brands such as Durex and Trojan.

The price increase triggered mixed comments. Some users said condoms still had to be bought because they were much cheaper than raising children.

"A few tens of yuan for one condom is still a hundred times more economical than raising a child at a cost of one million yuan," a user wrote, quoted by The Independent.

Another user wrote, "From now on, we not only have to be thrifty, but we also have to stock up on condoms first."

This debate comes as the Chinese government is trying to raise birth rates. The effort is not easy. High living costs, economic pressure, and the high cost of raising children make many families postpone or refuse to have children.

Earlier this year, China also lifted a three-decade-old tax exemption for drugs and contraceptives. Condoms and birth control pills are now subject to a 13 percent VAT, the same as many other consumer goods.

China's population has continued to shrink for four consecutive years. In 2025, the population was recorded at 1.404 billion, down 3 million from the previous year.

The number of newborns also fell sharply. In 2025, births were only 7.92 million, down 1.62 million or 17 percent. The slight increase in 2024 did not last.

This is where the irony comes in. The country wants more babies to be born. However, on the other hand, the cost of living goes up, contraceptives get more expensive, and young families still count hard before having children.

Condom companies Reckitt, LifeStyles, Ansell and Renfu, which sell products in China, have not commented.

The viral was triggered by the statement of the boss of condom manufacturer Karex Bhd, Goh Miah Kiat. He said the Malaysian company plans to raise prices by 20 to 30 percent, even higher, if the supply chain disruption due to the Iran war continues.