In 2024, the share of the population in Taiwan aged 65 and older accounted for approximately 19.2 percent of the total population. While the share of old people on the island increased gradually over recent years, the percentage of the working-age population and the children have both declined. Taiwan’s aging population With one of the lowest fertility rates in the world and a steadily growing life expectancy, the average age of Taiwan’s population is increasing quickly, and the share of people aged 65 and above is expected to reach around 38.4 percent of the total population in 2050. This development is also reflected in Taiwan’s population pyramid, which shows that the size of the youngest age group is only half of the size of age groups between 40 and 60 years. The rapid aging of the populations puts a heavy burden on the social insurance system. Old-age dependency is expected to reach more than 70 percent by 2050, meaning that by then three people of working age will have to support two elders, compared to only one elder supported by four working people today. Aging societies in East Asia Today, many countries in East Asia have very low fertility rates and face the challenges of aging societies. This is especially true among those countries that experienced high economic growth in the past, which often resulted in quickly receding birth rates. Japan was one of the first East Asian countries witnessing this demographic change, as is reflected in its high median age. South Korea had the lowest fertility rate of all Asian countries in recent years, and with China, one of the largest populations on earth joined the ranks of quickly aging societies.

According to a report on expats around the world, around ** percent of expatriates living in Taiwan were United States Americans as of February 2023. With an overall happiness level of ** percent (compared to a global average of ** percent), Taiwan was among the regions most appreciated by expats globally.

Abstract

The World Values Survey (www.worldvaluessurvey.org) is a global network of social scientists studying changing values and their impact on social and political life, led by an international team of scholars, with the WVS association and secretariat headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. The survey, which started in 1981, seeks to use the most rigorous, high-quality research designs in each country. The WVS consists of nationally representative surveys conducted in almost 100 countries which contain almost 90 percent of the world’s population, using a common questionnaire. The WVS is the largest non-commercial, cross-national, time series investigation of human beliefs and values ever executed, currently including interviews with almost 400,000 respondents. Moreover the WVS is the only academic study covering the full range of global variations, from very poor to very rich countries, in all of the world’s major cultural zones. The WVS seeks to help scientists and policy makers understand changes in the beliefs, values and motivations of people throughout the world. Thousands of political scientists, sociologists, social psychologists, anthropologists and economists have used these data to analyze such topics as economic development, democratization, religion, gender equality, social capital, and subjective well-being. These data have also been widely used by government officials, journalists and students, and groups at the World Bank have analyzed the linkages between cultural factors and economic development.

Geographic coverage

The Survey covers Taiwan China.

Analysis unit

• Household
• Individual

Universe

The WVS for Taiwan China covers national population, aged 18 years and over, for both sexes.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

(1) Variable is based on the cluster analysis of six variables including the percentage of the population (a) in commercial sectors, (b) in industry sectors, (c) aged 15-64, (d) aged 65 or more, (e) graduated from college or higher, and (f) density in 355 townships on Taiwan during 2000 or 2004. (2) Seven strata were originally derived and representing certain degree of urbanization (3) This survey combines the strata of the lowest two levels of urbanization sampling because the number of township in these strata is very small. Three-stage stratified sampling: First stage, PSU = Township using PPS Administrative district under township= village or precinct (Li) using PPS Registered, named individuals, using systematic sampling

Remarks about sampling: A non-response bias comes from the use of household registration data in which some household members in fact do not live in the household. upper age cut-off : 85 We sent postal cards to all sampled individuals (for advance contact). Telephone contacts were conducted in three phases ofinterview:

1. 30% of the respondents were back-checked by supervisors
2. 20% of the respondents interviewed by supervisors were back-checked by senior supervisors.
3. 90% of all respondents were contacted for clarifying certain items in the questionnaires by research assistant of the project.

The sample size for Taiwan is N=1227 and includes national population, aged 18 years and over, for both sexes.

Mode of data collection

Other [oth]

Research instrument

Manderin, Taiwanese, or Hakka Some variables are not included : 1.Dropped questions are V50-V54, V165-V167, V178, V210-214? 2.Questions with minor changes are as follows: V255, V256, V257, V259. Reason(s) why missing: 1.These variables doesnt fit our context. 2.V255 is based on the size of Primary Sampling Unit (PSU) represented by ZIP code. Data transformation will be used to produce this variable. V256 is changed based on ethnicity on Taiwan. V216a is added and put next to V216. V257 is changed based on V255 to categorize PSU. V259 will be created during data analysis.

Response rate

2874 A Total issued (total sample) 90 B Ineligible (address vacant, wrong ages,...) 2784 C (= A - B) Total eligible (in scope sample) 1225 D Total WVS questionnaires received 1559 E - (= C - D; = F + G + H) Total non-response 429 F Refusals (refusing to take part) 1076 G Non-contact (never contacted) 54 H Other non-response

Remarks about non-response: Population registers (about 9 percents of the sampled individuals dont live at their registered address) interviewer answer the questions illegally, the respondents were not the sampled units, the questionnaires were temporarily lost.

Sampling error estimates

+/- 2,9%

In 2023, the average total fertility rate in Taiwan ranged at around **** children per woman over lifetime. This extremely low figure is not expected to increase over the coming years. Taiwan’s demographic development Taiwan was once known for its strong population growth. After the retreat of the Republican government to the island in 1949, the population grew quickly. However, during Taiwan’s rapid economic development thereafter, the fertility rate dropped substantially. This drastic change occurred in most East Asian countries as well, of which many have some of the lowest fertility rates in the world today. As a result, populations in many East Asian regions are already shrinking or are expected to do so soon.In Taiwan, population decreased in 2020 for the first time, and the declining trend is expected to accelerate in the years ahead. At the same time, life expectancy has increased considerably, and Taiwan’s population is now aging at fast pace, posing a huge challenge to the island’s social security net. Addressing challenges of an aging society Most east Asian countries could, until recently, afford generous public pensions and health care systems, but now need to adjust to their changing reality. Besides providing incentives to raise children, the Taiwanese government also tries to attract more immigrants by lowering requirements for permanent residency. As both strategies have been met with limited success, the focus remains on reforming the pension system. This is being done mainly by raising the retirement age, promoting late-age employment, increasing pension contributions, and lowering pension payments.

The aging population is a common problem faced by most countries in the world. This study uses 18 years (from 2002 to 2019) of panel data from 31 regions in China (excluding Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Province), and establishes a panel threshold regression model to study the non-linear impact of the aging population on economic development. It is different from traditional research in that this paper divides 31 regions in China into three regions: Eastern, Central, and Western according to the classification standard of the National Bureau of Statistics of China and compares the different impacts of the aging population on economic development in the three regions. Although this study finds that the aging population promotes the economy of China’s eastern, central, and western regions, different threshold variables have dramatically different influences. When the sum of export and import is the threshold variable, the impact of the aging population on the eastern and the central region of China is significantly larger than that of the western region of China. However, when the unemployment rate is the threshold variable, the impact of the aging population on the western region of China is dramatically higher than the other regions’ impact. Thus, one of the contributions of this study is that if the local government wants to increase the positive impact of the aging population on the per capita GDP of China, the local governments of different regions should advocate more policies that align with their economic situation rather than always emulating policies from other regions.

The aging population is a common problem faced by most countries in the world. This study uses 18 years (from 2002 to 2019) of panel data from 31 regions in China (excluding Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Province), and establishes a panel threshold regression model to study the non-linear impact of the aging population on economic development. It is different from traditional research in that this paper divides 31 regions in China into three regions: Eastern, Central, and Western according to the classification standard of the National Bureau of Statistics of China and compares the different impacts of the aging population on economic development in the three regions. Although this study finds that the aging population promotes the economy of China’s eastern, central, and western regions, different threshold variables have dramatically different influences. When the sum of export and import is the threshold variable, the impact of the aging population on the eastern and the central region of China is significantly larger than that of the western region of China. However, when the unemployment rate is the threshold variable, the impact of the aging population on the western region of China is dramatically higher than the other regions’ impact. Thus, one of the contributions of this study is that if the local government wants to increase the positive impact of the aging population on the per capita GDP of China, the local governments of different regions should advocate more policies that align with their economic situation rather than always emulating policies from other regions.

In 2024, Taiwan’s gross domestic product amounted to around 782.44 billion U.S. dollars. Gross domestic product (GDP) denotes the aggregate value of all services and goods produced within a country in any given year. Taiwan’s GDP is projected to reach 960.13 billion U.S. dollars by 2030. Taiwan has the largest economy of any nation not a member of the United Nations (UN). Analyzing Taiwan’s economy Taiwan’s services sector generates the highest share of its GDP, at around 62 percent, though its industry sector also contributes about 35 percent to overall GDP in Taiwan. During the last decade, Taiwan has consistently held a trade surplus, and is known for its exports of electronics, machinery, and petrochemicals. Taiwan’s population Taiwan is a densely populated state, with a total population of about 23 million people, most of whom are between the ages of 15-64 years. Many members of the population are working; the unemployment rate was at only 3.8 percent in 2017. As one of the world’s technology hardware centers, Taiwan’s work force is comprised of high-skilled workers capable of navigating new technologies, such as artificial intelligence and blockchain.

In 2024, 100 percent of Brunei's population were middle class or above. Taiwan followed, with around **** percent of its population being considered middle class or above. In contrast, *** percent of Afghanistan's population earned the equivalent of the top 40 percent of global earners that year.

The statistic shows the 20 countries with the lowest fertility rates in 2024. All figures are estimates. In 2024, the fertility rate in Taiwan was estimated to be at 1.11 children per woman, making it the lowest fertility rate worldwide. Fertility rate The fertility rate is the average number of children born per woman of child-bearing age in a country. Usually, a woman aged between 15 and 45 is considered to be in her child-bearing years. The fertility rate of a country provides an insight into its economic state, as well as the level of health and education of its population. Developing countries usually have a higher fertility rate due to lack of access to birth control and contraception, and to women usually foregoing a higher education, or even any education at all, in favor of taking care of housework. Many families in poorer countries also need their children to help provide for the family by starting to work early and/or as caretakers for their parents in old age. In developed countries, fertility rates and birth rates are usually much lower, as birth control is easier to obtain and women often choose a career before becoming a mother. Additionally, if the number of women of child-bearing age declines, so does the fertility rate of a country. As can be seen above, countries like Hong Kong are a good example for women leaving the patriarchal structures and focusing on their own career instead of becoming a mother at a young age, causing a decline of the country’s fertility rate. A look at the fertility rate per woman worldwide by income group also shows that women with a low income tend to have more children than those with a high income. The United States are neither among the countries with the lowest, nor among those with the highest fertility rate, by the way. At 2.08 children per woman, the fertility rate in the US has been continuously slightly below the global average of about 2.4 children per woman over the last decade.