The nation’s population stood at 23.43 million at the end of last year, with women outnumbering men by more than 30,000, according to the latest Ministry of the Interior statistics.
There were 11,697,971 men, or 49.92 percent of the population at the end of last year, compared with 11,735,782 women, or 50.08 percent of the population. Women outnumbered men by 37,811.
In terms of the gender structure of the population of Taiwan’s 22 cities and counties, women outnumbered men in the relatively urban areas of Taipei, New Taipei City, Hsinchu, Greater Taichung, Greater Kaohsiung and Chiayi, while men outnumbered women in other cities and counties.
The sex ratio — the number of males per 100 females — was at its lowest in Taipei at 92.1 and at its highest in outlying Lienchiang County at 133.6.
In terms of the age structure of the population at the end of last year, there were 3.28 million people aged 0-14, or 14 percent of the total.
There were 17.35 million people aged 15-64, or 74 percent of the total, and 2.81 million people aged 65 or older, or 12 percent of the total.
The ratio of senior citizens remained on the upswing, the ministry said, adding that it has continued to climb since Taiwan first met the threshold for an aging society — 7 percent of the total population 65 or older — in 1993.
The nation’s aging index — the number of seniors per every 100 young people under the age of 15 — was 85.7 at the end of last year, an increase of 36.7 over the past decade.
Although Taiwan’s aging index at the end of last year was lower than that of Canada, Japan and several European nations, it was higher than that of the US, Australia, New Zealand and other Asian countries.
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