For the first time in history, Taiwan's census has recorded a significant decrease in the working age population. The newly-released 2020 census shows that the working age population is at 16,547,000 people, 169,000 fewer than the previous census. This is a result of a low birth rate and aging population in Taiwan.
This is Taiwan's seventh national census, which is carried out every ten years. The 2020 census shows that the population under the age of 15 has decreased by 668,000, while the population over the age of 65 has grown by 1,226,000, a striking 50% increase.
An investigation into these figures has found that these results prove Taiwan is not only becoming an aging society, but will also face pressures that come with a low birth rate. These include a shrinking labor force and an unstable economy that is unable to support the growing elderly population.
The census results also indicate that almost half of Taiwan's population lives in the north, with the remaining half split almost evenly between the central and southern regions, and a combined 2.4% living on the east coast, Kinmen, and the Matsu Islands.
The population has grown by 630,000 in the north and 196,000 in the central region, both of which were less significant increases than seen in the previous census from 2000-2010. The population in the south and east, meanwhile, only saw slight decreases.