"I Gained Weight to 100 kg to Avoid Military Service"... Taiwan Raises Exemption Threshold by 30 kg

Exemption for BMI above 45 or height of 144 cm or below
Military service exemption rate expected to fall from 16% to 8%

Taiwan has significantly tightened its exemption criteria in response to a shortage of military personnel. The move is intended to increase the number of eligible conscripts by strengthening physical examination requirements, including raising the weight threshold for exemption from about 100 kg to 130 kg or more.

The photo is not directly related to the article. Reuters-Yonhap News.

On November 2 (local time), Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Taiwan had comprehensively revised its military service exemption rules.

Under the revised rules, men must have a body mass index (BMI) above 45 to qualify for an exemption based on weight. Previously, men were exempt if their BMI was below 15 or above 35. For a man who is 170 cm tall, the weight threshold for exemption has been raised from over 101.3 kg to over 130.2 kg. The height criteria have also been tightened. Previously, men 154 cm or shorter or 196 cm or taller were exempt, but going forward, men who are at least 150 cm tall will qualify for regular military service.

The requirements for an exemption due to hypertension have also become stricter. Following draft-dodging cases involving Taiwanese celebrities, a diagnosis of hypertension alone is no longer enough to qualify for an exemption. Applicants must have moderate or severe hypertension accompanied by organ damage. They must also undergo hospital observation and continuous blood pressure monitoring for 24 hours. Other medical criteria have also been adjusted: people who have previously been treated for pulmonary tuberculosis must have at least a mild decline in lung function to qualify for an exemption.

Alternative service is divided into Class A and Class B. Class A personnel may be assigned to field duties at agencies such as the police and fire departments, while Class B personnel primarily perform clerical work, government support or social welfare duties. Taiwan's Ministry of the Interior forecasts that the exemption rate among men of conscription age will fall from about 16% to 8%.

The reform of military service laws comes amid a serious personnel shortage. Taiwan's volunteer recruitment rate stood at 76.62% in June, falling short of the military's 80% target for the third consecutive year. The newspaper reported that the number of men of conscription age is falling rapidly due to the declining birth rate. The number of eligible conscripts fell below 100,000 in 2023 and is expected to drop to fewer than 80,000 next year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.