Taiwan is currently facing the world's lowest fertility rate, threatening its future demographic stability.

History · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Once defined by rapid population growth and high fertility, Taiwan has undergone a dramatic demographic shift. Today, the island faces a shrinking workforce and a rapidly aging society, with fertility rates hitting record lows. This transition reveals the complex interplay between economic development, social change, and long-term population sustainability.

Taiwan’s demographic landscape has transformed significantly over the last century. During the early 20th century, the island experienced explosive growth, with the population rising from about 3 million in 1905 to over 22 million by 2001. This surge was fueled by high fertility rates and, in the late 1940s, a massive influx of 1.2 million soldiers and civilians following the Chinese Civil War. By the 1950s, the country saw annual growth rates as high as 3.68%.

However, this trajectory reversed as Taiwan industrialized. By 1984, fertility reached the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman, and it has declined steadily since. By 2010, the growth rate fell below 0.2%, and in 2025, the fertility rate plummeted to 0.695, the lowest globally. This decline is attributed to factors common in developed nations: increased female participation in the workforce, higher education levels, and the rising economic burden of childcare and housing, which often leads to delayed marriage or childlessness.

The consequences of this shift are profound. Taiwan reached the threshold of an aging society in 1993, and by 2025, the proportion of people aged 65 and older is expected to exceed 20%, marking its entry into a 'super aged society.' With a shrinking working-age population, the dependency ratio—the burden of the elderly on the workforce—is projected to rise from 35.2% in 2018 to 92.9% by 2060. This demographic contraction poses a significant challenge for the government, which must now navigate how to support an aging population with a dwindling base of younger workers.

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