The number of single-person households nationwide reached about 3,993,100 last year, accounting for 40.5 percent of all registered households, Ministry of the Interior data showed.
Single-person households have become the dominant structure in Taiwan, exceeding the combined share of two-person and three-person households for the first time, the data showed.
There were 8.933 million households nationwide in 2020, of which single-person households accounted for about 34 percent, two-person households about 20.5 percent and three-person households about 18.1 percent, ministry statistics showed.
Photo: Taipei Times
The combined share of two-person and three-person households had accounted for about 38.6 percent, about 4.6 percentage points higher than single-person households.
However, the total number of households nationwide increased to about 9.85 million last year, marking a substantial growth of about 917,000 households in five years.
During the same period, the number of single-person households surged by 951,100, significantly exceeding the growth in total households over the same time span.
The proportion of single-person households rose sharply to 40.5 percent last year, exceeding the combined share of two-person and three-person households at 38.19 percent, the data showed.
Asked why single-person households are becoming the dominant structure in Taiwan, a real estate agent said that on top of the main factors — non-marriage and childlessness — there are also other connected factors, such as the nation’s super-aged society.
Sinyi Realty Inc (信義房屋) research and development department project manager Tseng Ching-te (曾敬德) said that over the past few years, there have been fewer marriages — about 100,000 to 120,000 — compared with the 120,000 to 170,000 new housing units completed each year.
The growth rate of single-person households is significantly outpacing the number of marriages and new housing unit handovers each year, he said.
Aside from home purchases by single people, a new house tax policy that took effect in 2024 might have been another factor, Tseng said.
The policy raises tax for hoarding multiple houses, he said, adding that tax collection for it started last year.
To qualify for preferential taxes for self-occupied homes, owners must complete household registration for the property, Tseng said.
Given that taxes on newer properties are higher, the policy has prompted a wave of household registrations, so the number of single-person households between 2023 and last year might be inflated, he added.
Palau’s president yesterday called for a “unified” Pacific response to a missile test by China in July, while Taiwan and its Pacific allies a day earlier at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) reaffirmed their commitment to peace, stability and prosperity. China gave only a handful of nations short notice before test-firing an intercontinental ballistic missile in July, sparking condemnation from several Pacific leaders. The 18-member PIF being held in Palau was expected to release a communique after press time last night, with a formal response to the test possibly included. Palau, which invited Taiwan to attend sideline events as an aid partner, urged
MILITARY BUILDUP: Aside from this year’s budget, the defense ministry detailed its mid-term plan to upgrade, develop and procure defense materiel amid Chinese threats The military is reviewing budget execution trends and postponing non-urgent projects to maximize defense spending, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday as it submitted its budget for next year and other defense documents to the legislature. The ministry said China’s “gray zone” harassment of Taiwan has intensified while its military capabilities continue to expand rapidly. The assessment was included in its “Five-Year Force Buildup and Administration Plan Report” (五年兵力整建及施政計畫報告), submitted alongside the defense budget for this year and the “2026 China Military Power Report” (中共軍力報告書). China continues joint combat-readiness patrols, military exercises and China Coast Guard operations, while using maritime militia
STATE DEPARTMENT: A US official said that Washington would provide more than US$150m for Pacific island nations, with Minister Lin Chia-lung welcoming the plans The US Department of State has announced partnerships with Taiwan on two Palau projects after Washington pledged more than US$150 million for Pacific island nations. Following the opening of the 55th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting in Palau on Sunday, the department on Tuesday issued a statement titled “Promoting Pacific Prosperity: US Engagement at the Pacific Islands Forum,” which said that the US’ commitment to the security and prosperity of Pacific island nations “is steadfast and enduring, and remains a core pillar of its ‘America first’ foreign policy.” Meanwhile, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau announced at the PIF Partners
China’s continued efforts to inject geopolitical rivalry into the region and disrupt Pacific nations’ discussions of regional issues warrant greater international attention, a foreign affairs official said yesterday. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) last week led a delegation to diplomatic ally Palau to attend events related to the 55th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) summit. However, the absence of some member-state leaders has been interpreted by some people as a sign of fracturing in Pacific unity. Thirteen PIF members were represented by their heads of state or government, while Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Samoa sent ministerial-level representatives, a diplomatic official
RSS