TAIWAN-LIFESTYLE-AGING
According to statistics from the Ministry of the Interior, Taiwan's total population will be approximately 23.204 million by the end of October 2026, marking a continuous decline for 34 consecutive months; the proportion of the population aged 65 and over will reach 20.79%, indicating that Taiwan has entered a super-aged society.

Taiwan's population continued to shrink in October, highlighting the worsening challenges posed by the low birth rate and an aging population. The Interior Ministry on Nov. 10 released the latest household registration figures, showing that the population stood at about 23.204 million at the end of October 2026, down 9,251 from the end of September. The population has now declined month on month for 34 consecutive months.

According to Central News Agency (CNA) reporting on Nov. 10, the population at the end of October was 106,853 lower than a year earlier, an average daily decline of about 293 people, indicating that the downward trend remains firmly in place.

Taiwan recorded 8,035 births in October, up 331 from September but down 1,423 from the same month last year. That worked out to about one birth every 5.6 minutes, with a crude birth rate of 4.08 per 1,000 people.

There were 17,393 deaths during the month, up 681 from September and 1,485 from a year earlier. The crude death rate was 8.82 per 1,000 people. The significant gap between births and deaths was a key driver of the natural population decrease.

In the first 10 months of the year, Taiwan recorded 77,481 births and 166,203 deaths, a difference of 88,722.

By age group, about 2.595 million people were aged 0 to 14 at the end of October, accounting for 11.18% of the total population. The working-age population, those aged 15 to 64, stood at about 15.785 million, or 68.78%, while 4.824 million people were aged 65 or older, representing 20.79% of the population.

Under the World Health Organization's (WHO) classification, a society enters the super-aged category when people aged 65 and older account for 20% of the population. Taiwan's share has now surpassed that threshold.

Among the municipalities and counties, Taipei had the highest proportion of residents aged 65 and older, at 24.95%, while Hsinchu County had the lowest, at 15.59%. Differences in age structure across regions will also affect local governments' planning for long-term care, medical services, transportation and education resources.

The continued population decline and aging could have long-term effects on Taiwan's labor supply, social insurance, health care and economic growth. Improving the childcare environment, easing the burden of raising children, and attracting and retaining younger workers will be key challenges for the government's population policies.