THE country has become a “super-aged society” for the first time, with 20% of its shrinking population aged 65 or older in 2025, government data showed.
The island of over 23 million people faces a looming demographic challenge, with its population falling overall and ageing.
There were 4,673,155 people aged 65 or older in Taiwan in 2025, or 20.06% of the population, according to the interior ministry.
That means it met the World Health Organization’s criteria for a super-aged society, with one in every five citizens aged 65 or more. The number of people aged 0-14 accounted for 11.51% of the population.
Only 9,027 newborns were recorded in December 2025, a decrease of 27% from a year earlier, with the total number of newborns last year hitting a record low of 107,812.
Taiwan’s population shrank for the first time in 2020, while its birth rate has been falling continuously for two decades.
Demographers say more Taiwanese women are getting married later, opting for smaller families or staying single. — AFP
