Taiwan’s interior ministry says Taiwan’s aging population is the number one problem affecting the civil defense force. Interior Minister Hsu Kuo-yung made these remarks on Monday, after lawmakers raised concerns about Taiwan’s defense capabilities in light of the war in Ukraine.
According to Hsu, several other factors have affected the size of Taiwan’s civil defense force, but the aging population has had the most significant influence. Taiwan is on track to become a super-aged society by the year 2025, which means that more than 20% of the population will be over 65 years old.
Many military members move on to join the civil defense force after they reach the age of 40. Hsu says that since the size of Taiwan’s military has declined over the years, this has also affected the capabilities of the civil defense force.
Hsu says that there are currently only around 50,000 people in Taiwan’s civil defense force, which includes positions like traffic control. He says that strengthening this civilian task force will require close collaboration between the interior and defense ministries.