Taiwan People - 2023

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Population

23,588,613 (2023 est.)

Nationality

noun: Taiwan (singular and plural)

adjective: Taiwan (or Taiwanese)

note: example - he or she is from Taiwan; they are from Taiwan

Ethnic groups

Han Chinese (including Holo, who compose approximately 70% of Taiwan's population, Hakka, and other groups originating in mainland China) more than 95%, indigenous Malayo-Polynesian peoples 2.3%

note 1: there are 16 officially recognized indigenous groups: Amis, Atayal, Bunun, Hla'alua, Kanakaravu, Kavalan, Paiwan, Puyuma, Rukai, Saisiyat, Sakizaya, Seediq, Thao, Truku, Tsou, and Yami; Amis, Paiwan, and Atayal are the largest and account for roughly 70% of the indigenous population

note 2: although not definitive, the majority of current genetic, archeological, and linguistic data support the theory that Taiwan is the ultimate source for the spread of humans across the Pacific to Polynesia; the expansion (ca. 3000 B.C. to A.D. 1200) took place via the Philippines and eastern Indonesia and reached Fiji and Tonga by about 900 B.C.; from there voyagers spread across the rest of the Pacific islands over the next two millennia

Languages

Mandarin (official), Min Nan, Hakka dialects, approximately 16 indigenous languages

major-language sample(s):
世界概況  –  不可缺少的基本消息來源 (Mandarin)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Mandarin audio sample:

Religions

Buddhist 35.3%, Taoist 33.2%, Christian 3.9%, folk religion (includes Confucian) approximately 10%, none or unspecified 18.2% (2005 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 12.22% (male 1,482,120/female 1,399,336)

15-64 years: 69.72% (male 8,211,973/female 8,233,667)

65 years and over: 18.07% (2023 est.) (male 1,922,365/female 2,339,152)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 40.2

youth dependency ratio: 17.8

elderly dependency ratio: 22.4

potential support ratio: 4.5 (2021 est.)

Median age

total: 42.3 years

male: 41.5 years

female: 43.1 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate

0.03% (2023 est.)

Birth rate

7.33 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

7.98 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate

0.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

distribution exhibits a peripheral coastal settlement pattern, with the largest populations on the north and west coasts

Urbanization

urban population: 80.1% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.65% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas - population

4.504 million New Taipei City, 2.754 million TAIPEI (capital), 2.319 million Taoyuan, 1.553 million Kaohsiung, 1.369 million Taichung, 863,000 Tainan (2023)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 3.9 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 4.23 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 3.56 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 81.38 years

male: 78.4 years

female: 84.54 years (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.09 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.53 (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

75.2% (2016)

note: percent of women aged 20-52

Drinking water source

improved: urban: N/A

rural: N/A

total: N/A

unimproved: urban: N/A

rural: N/A

total: N/A

Current health expenditure

N/A

Physicians density

N/A

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: N/A

rural: N/A

total: N/A

unimproved: urban: N/A

rural: N/A

total: N/A

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

N/A

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

51% (2023 est.)

Education expenditures

N/A

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 98.5%

male: 99.7%

female: 97.3% (2014)

NOTE: The information regarding Taiwan on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Taiwan 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Taiwan 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.