Keelung last year became the nation’s “loneliest” city, with one-person households making up more than 41 percent of its households, the latest data from the Ministry of the Interior showed.
As of the end of last year, there were more than 3.57 million one-person households nationwide, accounting for 37.67 percent of the total households, the data showed.
The nation’s population spiked to a record 23.6 million in 2019 before consecutively declining year by year to 23.4 million last year.
Photo: Taipei Times
However, similar to Japan, the number of households climbed to about 9.49 million from about 8.83 million over the same period, despite the population shrinking, mainly because nuclear families were decreasing.
The number of one-person or two-people households has been rising over the past decade, meaning that households of people living alone or childless couples were increasing.
The number of one-person or two-people households increased to more than 5.59 million last year, or 59 percent of households, while households of four people or more declined over the same period, the data showed.
The number of households of five people or more — which were mostly three-generation families — dropped to about 985,000 last year, or 10.3 percent, dipping to fewer than 1 million for the first time.
Keelung was the “loneliest” among all administrative regions with its one-person households reaching 41.61 percent, while its households of six people or more accounted for 2.42 percent, the lowest in Taiwan.
It was followed by Taitung County and Taipei respectively, of which one-person households surpassed 40 percent each, the data showed.
The least lonely administrative region was Changhua County, of which one-person households made up 30.61 percent, while households of six people or more reached 9.66 percent, third behind Kinmen and Matsu (Lienchiang) counties.
As of June last year, the number of households of people aged 65 or older living alone was more than 1.03 million, up by about 300,000 people from 727,000 in August 2018.
Meanwhile, among the 19 administrative areas in Taiwan proper, only Taoyuan and Hsinchu County had positive natural population growth.
Yunlin County had the highest birthrate and death rate.
Of the six major cities, Taoyuan residents were the most willing to have children, while New Taipei City residents were the least willing.
The Taipei City Government was the most generous nationwide in terms of birth subsidies with NT$40,000 for the first child, NT$45,000 for the second and NT$50,000 for more.
Thanks to the boosted birth subsidies, the natural population decline in Taipei was 2,612 people last year, down from 4,330 people in 2023 and 6,255 people in 2022, the data showed.
The Yunlin County Government’s birth subsidy of NT$30,000 for each of the first three newborns remained unchanged, while the subsidy for the fourth newborn or more was raised to NT$100,000. The county had the highest birthrate last year.
New Taipei City, which had the lowest birthrate among the six major cities over the past few years, earlier this year increased its subsidies to NT$30,000 for the first newborn, NT$40,000 for the second and NT$50,000 for more.
Although Taipei provides the highest birth subsidies and has diminishing natural population decline, last year its social population decline gained speed, meaning that soaring house prices kept driving people away from the city.
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
TAIWAN IS TAIWAN: US Representative Tom Tiffany said the amendment was not controversial, as ‘Taiwan is not — nor has it ever been — part of Communist China’ The US House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment banning the US Department of Defense from creating, buying or displaying any map that shows Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The “Honest Maps” amendment was approved in a voice vote on Friday as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for the 2026 fiscal year. The amendment prohibits using any funds from the act to create, buy or display maps that show Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, Wuciou (烏坵), Green Island (綠島) or Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) as part of the PRC. The act includes US$831.5 billion in
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative
RSS