Population of Taiwan 1990-2030

In 2023, the total population of Taiwan increased to approximately 23.42 million people. The significant drop in 2021 and 2022 was mainly due to people leaving the island during the coronavirus pandemic, while the natural growth rate was also slightly negative. The return of many people in 2023 led to a growth in population. According to national statistics and projections, population numbers entered a general declining path in 2020.Taiwan's demographic development Taiwan experienced rapid population growth in the 1950s and 60s, but alongside with economic development, growth rates decreased significantly. Falling birth figures have also been attributed to Taiwan’s family planning policy, which was aimed at keeping population growth at check. This led to a situation on the island where overall population density was very high and still growing, while the total fertility rate dropped quickly and eventually reached extremely low levels compared internationally. In the 21st century, the challenges of a quickly aging society became more and more apparent and the government initiated family friendly and birth promoting policies. However, fertility still kept on decreasing and reached a historical low in 2010 at 0.9 births per woman on average, and only in recent years has the number of births increased slightly. Implications of an aging society Today's Taiwan, like many East Asian societies, faces the challenges of a rapidly aging population. While the share of the population aged 65 and older accounted to around 18 percent in 2022, it is projected to reach 41 percent in 2060. The old-age dependency ratio, which denotes the relation of people of 65 years and above to the working-age population, is expected to reach around 83 percent in those years. This puts heavy pressure on the working people and the economy as a whole. However, compared to mainland China, which is in a very much comparable demographic situation, Taiwan enjoys the advantage of a relatively wealthy society, which helps to curb the negative economic effects of an aging population.

于2023年，台湾的总人口增至约2342万。2021年及2022年的显著下降主要归因于在冠状病毒大流行期间离岛的人口流动，而自然增长率亦略有下降。2023年众多人口的回归导致了人口的增长。根据国家统计数据及预测，自2020年起人口数量已步入普遍下降的轨迹。台湾的人口发展历程在20世纪50年代和60年代，台湾经历了快速的人口增长，但随着经济的发展，增长率显著下降。生育率的下降亦被归因于台湾的家庭规划政策，旨在控制人口增长。这导致岛上整体人口密度极高且仍在增长，而总生育率则迅速下降，最终与国际相比达到极低水平。进入21世纪，快速老龄化的社会挑战日益凸显，政府启动了亲家庭和鼓励生育的政策。然而，生育率仍然持续下降，并在2010年达到历史低点，平均每名女性生育0.9个孩子，而近年来生育数量仅略有上升。老龄化社会的启示如今之台湾，如同许多东亚社会，面临着快速老龄化人口的挑战。尽管截至2022年，65岁及以上人口占比约为18%，但预计到2060年将增至41%。届时，老年依赖比，即65岁及以上人口与劳动年龄人口的比例，预计将达到约83%。这给全体劳动者及整个经济带来了沉重的压力。然而，与人口结构状况极为相似的大陆中国相比，台湾拥有相对富裕的社会优势，这有助于缓解老龄化人口对经济的负面影响。