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By Micah McCartney
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There were more deaths than births in Taiwan for the 22nd consecutive month, according to new government data for October.
More troubling for policymakers than the sheer drop in population, however, is the island's steady march toward what the United Nations classifies as a “super-aged society,” where people aged 65 and older make up at least 20 percent of the population.
Why It Matters
Birth rates are falling across many high- and middle-income countries as younger generations delay or opt out of having children amid rising living costs and shifting attitudes toward family life.
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Taiwan now has one of the world’s lowest birth rates, raising concerns over the economic impact as a dwindling number of working-age people are left to care for a rapidly growing elderly population.
Newsweek reached out to Taiwan’s Health Ministry by email for comment outside of working hours.
What To Know
Taiwan’s population stood at 23,310,853 at the end of October, down by 91,951—or nearly 0.4 percent—from a year earlier, according to household registration data released on Monday by the Interior Ministry.
While births rose nearly 10 percent from the previous month to 9,458, that figure was still down 21.6 percent compared to the same period last year. The annual crude birth rate now stood at 4.78 per 1,000 people, roughly on par with South Korea, long considered the country with the lowest birth rate in the world.
The average household size has also declined, down 4.4 percent year-on-year to 2.37 persons.
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Meanwhile, there were 15,908 deaths in October, for an average of 1.7 deaths for every birth per minute, according to the ministry.
The percentage of residents aged 65 and older reached 19.9 percent—meaning the island is likely to join the ranks of "super-aged" Japan and South Korea by the end of the year. In the Taiwanese capital of Taipei, this rate was even higher at 24 percent.
Authorities have introduced a range of measures to encourage births, from cash handouts to subsidies for in vitro fertilization, but experts say these efforts fall short of reversing the trend.
Analysts have also raised concerns about the need to restructure the labor force and for employers to rethink employment strategies amid the shifting demographic landscape.
What People Are Saying
Hsin Ping-lung, an associate professor at National Taiwan University, told Taiwan’s Central News Agency that enterprises should hire more “silver labor” to meet demand in certain industries, pointing out that some shortages stem from entrenched ageism. He also called for government support in helping companies adapt to automation.
What Happens Next
According to projections by Taiwan’s National Development Council, the population will drop to just over 20.7 million by 2045, with 35 percent of Taiwanese aged 65 or older and a median age of 55.
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