Taiwan records longest stretch of population decline as births fall for 30th month

Taiwan’s population declined for the 30th consecutive month, marking its longest stretch of population decline, Interior Ministry data showed Friday.

Only 46,344 births were recorded in the first half of the year, down from 55,375 during the same period last year, according to the data.

By the end of last month, Taiwan’s population stood at 23.24 million, down by more than 100,000 from a year earlier.

The latest figures mark the longest stretch of population decline in data going back to the end of World War II, according to Bloomberg News.

Taiwan officially became a super-aged society last year, meaning people aged 65 or older account for more than 20% of the population.

As of the end of June, 11.34% of the population was aged 0 to 14, while 68.18% was aged 15 to 64 and 20.49% was aged 65 or older, the data showed.

Taipei had the highest share of elderly residents, with 24.61% of its population aged 65 or above, while Hsinchu County had the lowest at 15.38%.

Taiwan recorded 7,324 births in June, down from a year earlier but higher than in May.

Hsinchu City had the highest birthrate at 5.05 per 1,000 people, while Keelung had the lowest at 2.2 per 1,000.

There were 16,340 deaths, with the death rate reaching 8.55 per 1,000 people. In migration figures, 65,101 people entered Taiwan and 65,161 left, resulting in a net outflow of 60 people.