One-person households in Taiwan increase 32% over five years

台灣單親家庭五年內成長32%

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — One-person households in Taiwan have increased by 32% over the past five years, adding around 610,000 new units, according to data from the Central Bank and the Cabinet.

From the fourth quarter of 2020 to the first quarter of this year, newly purchased homes rose by 717,000. One-person households accounted for 85% of this increase, according to CTEE and UDN.

During the same period, the average size of newly purchased homes fell from 151 square meters to 135 square meters. This marks a nearly 10% drop.

Some industry voices have called for restrictions on luxury housing loans, arguing that strict rules for high-value properties may encourage smaller units. However, data indicate that high housing costs and shrinking household sizes are the main factors.

In Taipei, the average household income is NT$1.49 million (US$48,868) per year. Over the past year, the average transaction price for existing homes was NT$1.02 million per ping (3.3 square meters), while newly built homes sold for NT$1.23 million per ping, according to Leju.

The increase in one-person households also reflects broader changes in family structures. More people are living alone, while multi-generational households are becoming less common.

As of Q1, Taiwan had roughly 7.936 million registered residential units nationwide. One-person households increased by 610,000 units, the most since Q4 2020.

Two-person households grew by 226,000, and three-person households rose by 101,000. Households with four or more members fell by 221,000 units.

Smaller, affordable units tend to sell faster, a survey by MyHousing Magazine found. In prime Taipei areas, unit prices of NT$1 million per ping are becoming common.

The smallest units on the market are also shrinking, with the tiniest in 2025 measuring just 23 square meters.

In the first half of 2025, the smallest new residential units in northern Taiwan included four projects:

An 8-ping unit in Taipei's Zhongshan District at NT$1.62 million per ping
An 8-ping unit in Taipei's Datong District at NT$1.11 million per ping
A 7-ping unit in Taoyuan's Dayuan District at NT$320,000 per ping
A 9-ping unit in Taoyuan's Longtan District at NT$360,000 per ping