Taiwan population to fall below 20 million by 2045

台灣人口預估將於2045年跌破2,000萬

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan’s population will fall below 20 million in 2045 and half by 2075, the National Development Council said Friday.

The study shows the overall population will decline from the current 23 million to 21.9 million in 2035 and 19.9 million in 2045. At the end of the studied period, in 2075, Taiwan will have 12.1 million residents.

UDN reported that the percentage of residents aged 65 or more is likely to rise from the current 20.9% to 28.7% in 2035, 37% in 2045, and 43.8% in 2055. The group will exceed half the population by 2065.

In the working population, the age group from 45 to 64 will occupy more than half beginning in 2037, CNA reported. The average age of the population will rise from the current 46.4 to 52.1 in 2035 and to 57.2 in 2045.

The changes are also reflected in the estimates for the proportion of young and old people. The number of working-age people per older person is declining from 3.2 in 2026 to 2.2 in 2035, with a fall below 1 expected by 2065.

Currently, there are 47.2 dependents for every working resident, with 16.4 dependents below working age and 30.8 dependents aged 65 or older. The ratio will increase to 55.2 dependents per working person in 2035, and 72.8 in 2045, according to the projections.

The NDC said the government has formed a task force and announced a strategy in May to address the problems of an aging society.