Taiwan
Taiwan⌘K
Overview
- Background
- First inhabited by Austronesian people, Taiwan became home to Han immigrants beginning in the late Ming Dynasty (17th century). In 1895, military defeat forced China's Qing Dynasty to cede Taiwan to Japan, which then governed Taiwan for 50 years. Taiwan came under Chinese Nationalist (Kuomintang, KMT) control after World War II. With the communist victory in the Chinese civil war in 1949, the Nationalist-controlled Republic of China government and 2 million Nationalists fled to Taiwan and continued to claim to be the legitimate government for mainland China and Taiwan, based on a 1947 constitution drawn up for all of China. Until 1987, however, the Nationalist Government ruled Taiwan under a civil war martial law declaration dating to 1948. Beginning in the 1970s, Nationalist authorities gradually began to incorporate the native population into the governing structure beyond the local level.
The democratization process expanded rapidly in the 1980s, leading to the then-illegal founding of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Taiwan’s first opposition party, in 1986 and the lifting of martial law the following year. Taiwan held legislative elections in 1992, the first in over 40 years, and its first direct presidential election in 1996. In the 2000 presidential elections, Taiwan underwent its first peaceful transfer of power with the KMT loss to the DPP and afterwards experienced two additional democratic transfers of power in 2008 and 2016. Throughout this period, the island prospered and turned into one of East Asia's economic "Tigers," becoming a major investor in mainland China after 2000 as cross-Strait ties matured. The dominant political issues continue to be economic reform and growth, as well as management of sensitive relations between Taiwan and China.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 32,260 sq km
- Note
- note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Kinmen islands
- Water
- 3,720 sq km
- Total
- 35,980 sq km
- Climate
- tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); persistent and extensive cloudiness all year
- Terrain
- eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west
Land Use
- Other
- 78% (2022 est.)
- Forest
- 0% (2022 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 22% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 16.6% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 5.4% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)
- Location
- Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China
- Coastline
- 1,566.3 km
Elevation
- Lowest point
- South China Sea 0 m
- Highest point
- Yu Shan 3,952 m
- Mean elevation
- 1,150 m
- Irrigated land
- 3,820 sq km (2012)
- Map references
- Southeast Asia
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 0 km
Maritime Claims
- Territorial sea
- 12 nm
- Exclusive economic zone
- 200 nm
- Natural hazards
- earthquakes; typhoons
volcanism: Kueishantao Island (401 m), east of Taiwan, is the only historically active volcano, but it has not erupted in centuries - Geography note
- strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon Strait
- Natural resources
- small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, asbestos, arable land
- Area comparative
- slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined
- Geographic coordinates
- 23 30 N, 121 00 E
- Population distribution
- distribution exhibits a peripheral coastal settlement pattern, with the largest populations on the north and west coasts
People & Society
Languages
- Languages
- Mandarin (official), Min Nan, Hakka dialects, approximately 16 indigenous languages
- Major language sample(s)
世界概況 – 不可缺少的基本消息來源 (Mandarin)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
- Religions
- Buddhist 35.3%, Taoist 33.2%, Christian 3.9%, folk religion (includes Confucian) approximately 10%, none or unspecified 18.2% (2005 est.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 1 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.82 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 7.22 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 8.18 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 43.6 years
- Total
- 45.1 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 45.5 years
Population
- Male
- 11,596,835
- Total
- 23,600,776 (2025 est.)
- Female
- 12,003,941
Nationality
- Note
- note: example - he or she is from Taiwan; they are from Taiwan
- Noun
- Taiwan (singular and plural)
- Adjective
- Taiwan (or Taiwanese)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 80.1% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 0.65% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age Structure
- 0 14 years
- 12.1% (male 1,472,059/female 1,391,031)
- 15 64 years
- 69% (male 8,132,356/female 8,155,582)
- 65 years and over
- 18.8% (2024 est.) (male 2,002,076/female 2,442,170)
- Ethnic groups
- Han Chinese (including Holo, who compose approximately 70% of Taiwan's population, Hakka, and other groups originating in mainland China) more than 95%, indigenous Malayo-Polynesian peoples 2.3%
Dependency Ratios
- Total dependency ratio
- 46.5 (2025 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 17.7 (2025 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 3.5 (2025 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 28.7 (2025 est.)
- Net migration rate
- 1.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 1.12 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 4.2 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 3.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 3.5 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- 0.02% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 0.54 (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- distribution exhibits a peripheral coastal settlement pattern, with the largest populations on the north and west coasts
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 78.6 years
- Female
- 84.7 years
- Total population
- 81.6 years (2024 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 4.504 million New Taipei City, 2.754 million TAIPEI (capital), 2.319 million Taoyuan, 1.553 million Kaohsiung, 1.369 million Taichung, 863,000 Tainan (2023)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
Executive
- Flag
- description: red field with a dark blue rectangle in the upper-left corner, bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays
meaning: blue stands for liberty, justice, and democracy; red for fraternity, sacrifice, and nationalism; white for equality, frankness, and the people's livelihood; the 12 rays represent the months of the year and the traditional Chinese hours (each ray equals two hours)
history: the blue-and-white design of the canton (symbolizing the sun of progress) dates to 1895
Capital
- Name
- Taipei
- Etymology
- the name means "Northern Taiwan," from the Chinese words tai (a short form of Taiwan) and bei (north), reflecting the city's position in the far north of the island
- Time difference
- UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Geographic coordinates
- 25 02 N, 121 31 E
- Suffrage
- 20 years of age; universal
Citizenship
- Citizenship BY birth
- no
- Citizenship BY descent only
- at least one parent must be a citizen of Taiwan
- Dual citizenship recognized
- yes, except that citizens of Taiwan are not recognized as dual citizens of the People's Republic of China
- Residency requirement for naturalization
- 5 years
Constitution
- History
- previous 1912, 1931; latest adopted 25 December 1946, promulgated 1 January 1947, effective 25 December 1947
- Amendment process
- proposed by at least one fourth of the Legislative Yuan membership; passage requires approval by at least three-fourths majority vote of at least three fourths of the Legislative Yuan membership and approval in a referendum by more than half of eligible voters
Country Name
- Former
- Formosa
- Etymology
- the name may derive from the Chinese words tai (terrace) and wan (bay), referring to the island's terrain; in 1590, the Portuguese named it Formosa, meaning "beautiful"
- Local long form
- none
- Local short form
- Taiwan
- Conventional long form
- none
- Conventional short form
- Taiwan
- Legal system
- civil law system
- Government type
- semi-presidential republic
Judicial Branch
- Highest court(s)
- Supreme Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and approximately 100 judges organized into civil and criminal panels, each with a chief justice and 4 associate justices); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president, vice president, and 13 justices)
- Subordinate courts
- high courts; district courts; hierarchy of administrative courts
- Judge selection and term of office
- Supreme Court justices appointed for life by the president; Constitutional Court justices appointed by the president, with approval of the Legislative Yuan, for 8-year terms, with half the membership renewed every 4 years
Executive Branch
- Cabinet
- Executive Yuan; ministers appointed by president on recommendation of premier
- Chief of state
- President LAI Ching-te (since 20 May 2024)
- Election results
2024: LAI Ching-te elected president; percent of vote - LAI Ching-te (DPP) 40.1%, HOU Yu-ih (KMT) 33.5%, KO Wen-je (TPP) 26.5%)
2020: TSAI Ing-wen reelected president; percent of vote - TSAI Ing-wen (DPP) 57.1%, HAN Kuo-yu (KMT) 38.6%, James SOONG (PFP) 4.3%- Head of government
- Premier CHO Jung-tai (President of the Executive Yuan) (since 20 May 2024)
- Most recent election date
- 13 January 2024
- Election/appointment process
- president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by simple-majority popular vote for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); premier appointed by the president; vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the premier
- Expected date of next election
- 2028
- National holiday
- Republic Day (National Day), 10 October (1911)
- National color(s)
- blue, white, red
- Political parties
- Democratic Progressive Party or DPP
Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party)
Taiwan People's Party or TPP
Legislative Branch
- Term in office
- 4 years
- Number of seats
- 113 (directly elected)
- Electoral system
- plurality/majority
- Legislature name
- Legislative Yuan
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Legislative structure
- unicameral
- Most recent election date
- 13 January 2024
- Expected date of next election
- January 2028
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 41.6%
- Parties elected and seats per party
- Kuomintang (KMT) 52, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) 51, Taiwan People's Party (TPP) 8, independent 2
National Anthem(s)
- Title
- "Zhonghua Minguo guoge" (National Anthem of the Republic of China)
- History
- adopted 1937; also the song of the Kuomintang Party; informally known as "San Min Chu I" or "San Min Zhu Yi" (Three Principles of the People); the anthem is banned from performance in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau
- Lyrics/music
- HU Han-min, TAI Chi-t'ao, and LIAO Chung-k'ai/CHENG Mao-yun
- National symbol(s)
- white sun with 12 rays on a blue field
- Administrative divisions
- includes main island of Taiwan, plus smaller islands nearby and off coast of China's Fujian Province; Taiwan is divided into 13 counties (xian, singular and plural), 3 cities (shi, singular and plural), and 6 special municipalities directly under the jurisdiction of the Executive Yuan
counties: Changhua, Chiayi, Hsinchu, Hualien, Kinmen, Lienchiang, Miaoli, Nantou, Penghu, Pingtung, Taitung, Yilan, Yunlin
cities: Chiayi, Hsinchu, Keelung
special municipalities: Kaohsiung (city), New Taipei (city), Taichung (city), Tainan (city), Taipei (city), Taoyuan (city)
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Note
- Note: commercial and cultural relations with its citizens in the US are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO), a private nonprofit corporation that performs citizen and consular services similar to those at diplomatic posts, represented by Ambassador Alexander YUI (since 11 December 2023); office: 4201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016; telephone: [1] (202) 895-1800; fax: [1] (202) 363-0999
- Chief of mission
- none
- Taipei economic and cultural offices (branch offices)
- Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver (CO), Hagatna (Guam), Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Fax
- [886] 2-2162-2251
- Telephone
- [886] 2-2162-2000
- Other offices
- Kaohsiung (Branch Office)
- Mailing address
- 4170 AIT Taipei Place, Washington DC 20521-4170
- Branch office(s)
- American Institute in Taiwan
No. 100, Jinhu Road,
Neihu District 11461, Taipei City - Chief of mission
- the US does not have an embassy in Taiwan; commercial and cultural relations with the people of Taiwan are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), a private nonprofit corporation that performs citizen and consular services similar to those at diplomatic posts; it is managed by Director Raymond F. GREENE (since 8 July 2024)
- Email address and website
- TaipeiACS@state.gov
https://www.ait.org.tw/
- International organisations
- ADB (Chinese Taipei), APEC (Chinese Taipei), BCIE, CABEI, IOC, ITUC (NGOs), SICA (observer), WTO (Chinese Taipei)
- International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Leaders
Current
Lai Ching-te
- Head of State
Wu Den-yih
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- Revenues
- $94.943 billion (2019 est.)
- Expenditures
- $105.833 billion (2019 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $446.371 billion (2021 est.)
- Note
- note: figures complied according to the General Trade System - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2021
- $446.371 billion (2021 est.)
- Exports 2022
- $479.415 billion (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $432.432 billion (2023 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $381.958 billion (2021 est.)
- Note
- note: figures complied according to the General Trade System - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2021
- $381.958 billion (2021 est.)
- Imports 2022
- $428.083 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $351.441 billion (2023 est.)
- Industries
- electronics, communications and information technology products, petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing, vehicles, consumer products, pharmaceuticals
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 35.7% of GDP (2017 est.)
- Note
- note: data for central government
- Public debt 2017
- 35.7% of GDP (2017 est.)
Exchange Rates
- Currency
- New Taiwan dollars (TWD) per US dollar -
- Exchange rates 2020
- 28.211 (2020 est.)
- Exchange rates 2021
- 28.022 (2021 est.)
- Exchange rates 2022
- 29.777 (2022 est.)
- Exchange rates 2023
- 31.15 (2023 est.)
- Exchange rates 2024
- 32.108 (2024 est.)
- Economic overview
- high-income East Asian economy; most technologically advanced computer microchip manufacturing; increasing Chinese interference threatens market capabilities; minimum wages rising; longstanding regional socioeconomic inequality
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 3.4% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 3.7% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 3.5% (2023 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2024
- 3.4% (2024 est.)
- Exports partners
- China 20%, USA 17%, Hong Kong 13%, Singapore 9%, Japan 7% (2023)
- Imports partners
- China 21%, Japan 13%, USA 11%, S. Korea 9%, Australia 5% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $32,300 (2023 est.)
- Note
- note: data are in current dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2021
- $32,900 (2021 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $32,600 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $32,300 (2023 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 2.1%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2021
- 6.62% (2021 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- 2.59% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- 1.28% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural products
- rice, vegetables, pork, chicken, cabbages, milk, sugarcane, tropical fruits, pineapples, eggs (2023)
- Exports commodities
- integrated circuits, machine parts, broadcasting equipment, computers, plastics (2023)
- Imports commodities
- integrated circuits, crude petroleum, machinery, natural gas, coal (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $195.9B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- Current account balance 2021
- $118.298 billion (2021 est.)
- Current account balance 2022
- $101.032 billion (2022 est.)
- Current account balance 2023
- $105.076 billion (2023 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $611.391 billion (2023 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Household consumption
- 48.3% (2023 est.)
- Government consumption
- 13.3% (2023 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- -0.6% (2023 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 23.7% (2023 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 64% (2023 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -49.1% (2023 est.)
Average Household Expenditures
- On food
- 13.8% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
- On alcohol and tobacco
- 2.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 2.2% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 2.9% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
- 2.5% (2023 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
- 2.2% (2024 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $1.743 trillion (2023 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021
- $1.512 trillion (2021 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $1.664 trillion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $1.743 trillion (2023 est.)
Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income
- Note
- note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
- Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2023
- 33.9 (2023 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Exports
- 47,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 58.15 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Production
- 5.212 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 64.609 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 1 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Total petroleum production
- 800 bbl/day (2023 est.)
- Crude oil estimated reserves
- 2.38 million barrels (2021 est.)
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 954,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Electricity
- Consumption
- 270.648 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 64.535 million kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 7.907 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Natural Gas
- Imports
- 26.997 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Production
- 60.761 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 27.222 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 6.23 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Nuclear Energy
- Number of operational nuclear reactors
- 1 (2025)
- Percent of total electricity production
- 6.9% (2023 est.)
- Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors
- 0.94GW (2025 est.)
- Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down
- 5 (2025)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 206.102 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Wind
- 2.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Solar
- 4.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Nuclear
- 6.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 84.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Hydroelectricity
- 1.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Biomass and waste
- 1.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 90% (2021 est.)
- Broadcast media
- 5 national TV networks with about 22 stations; over 300 satellite TV channels available; about half of households use multi-channel cable TV; almost all subscribe to digital cable TV; national and regional radio networks with about 171 radio stations (2023)
- Internet country code
- .tw
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 10 million (2023 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 43 (2023 est.)
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 29.8 million (2024 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 128 (2024 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 5,831,470 (2019 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 25 (2019 est.)
Transport
Ports
- Large
- 1
- Small
- 2
- Medium
- 3
- Key ports
- Chi-Lung, Hua-Lien Kang, Kao-Hsiung, Su-Ao
- Very small
- 2
- Total ports
- 8 (2024)
- Ports with oil terminals
- 8
- Airports
- 57 (2025)
Railways
- Note
- 150 0.762-m gauge note: the 0.762-gauge track belongs to three entities: the Forestry Bureau, Taiwan Cement, and TaiPower
- Total
- 1,613.1 km (2018)
- Narrow gauge
- 1,118.1 km (2018) 1.067-m gauge (793.9 km electrified)
- Standard gauge
- 345 km (2018) 1.435-m gauge (345 km electrified)
- Heliports
- 56 (2025)
Merchant Marine
- Total
- 465 (2023)
- BY type
- bulk carrier 29, container ship 53, general cargo 58, oil tanker 35, other 290
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- B
Environment
- Climate
- tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); persistent and extensive cloudiness all year
Land Use
- Other
- 78% (2022 est.)
- Forest
- 0% (2022 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 22% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 16.6% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 5.4% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)
Urbanization
- Urban population
- 80.1% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 0.65% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 7.336 million tons (2015 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 13.8% (2022 est.)
- Environmental issues
- air pollution; water pollution from industrial emissions, raw sewage; contamination of drinking water supplies; trade in endangered species; low-level radioactive waste disposal
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 289.109 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From consumed natural gas
- 56.361 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From coal and metallurgical coke
- 140.734 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 92.014 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 67 cubic meters (2011)
Military & Security
- Military note
- the military’s primary responsibility is external security, including the defense and protection of the country’s air space, maritime claims, sea lines of communications, sovereignty, and territory; its main focus is the challenge posed by the People’s Republic of China (2025)
Military Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 2.4% of GDP (2024 est.)
- Military expenditures 2020
- 2.1% of GDP (2020 est.)
- Military expenditures 2021
- 2.1% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Military expenditures 2022
- 2.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Military expenditures 2023
- 2.5% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Military expenditures 2024
- 2.4% of GDP (2024 est.)
- Military and security forces
- Taiwan Armed Forces: Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force, Information Communication and Electronic Force (ICEF)
Ocean Affairs Council: Coast Guard Administration (CGA)
Ministry of Interior: National Police (2025) - Military service age and obligation
- men 18-36 years of age may volunteer or must complete 12 months of compulsory military service; civil service can be substituted for military service in some cases; women can volunteer (2025)
- Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the military's inventory is a mix of domestically produced and foreign-supplied armaments, mostly from the US either as secondhand or direct acquisitions; Taiwan's domestic defense industry produces weapons systems such as aircraft, armored vehicles, missiles, and naval platforms (2025)
- Military and security service personnel strengths
- approximately 170,000 active duty Armed Forces (2025)
Space
- Space launch site(s)
- sounding rockets launched from Jui Peng Air Base (Pingtung); has announced intentions to build a future national space port on the southeast coast (Pingtung) (2025)
- Space agency/agencies
- Taiwan Space Agency (TASA; renamed and reorganized in 2023 from the former National Space Program Organization or NSPO, which was established in 1991) (2025)
- Space program overview
- has had a national space program since the early 1990s, with a focus on acquiring satellites and developing independent space capabilities, such as rocket manufacturing and satellite launch services; manufactures and operates satellites and sounding rockets; researching and developing other space technologies, including remote sensing, telecommunications, small satellites, satellite payloads and ground station components, spacecraft components, navigational control, and rocket propulsion systems; has bilateral relations with the space programs of France, India, Japan, Paraguay, Poland, the UK, and the US; has a commercial space industry that provides components and expertise for the Taiwan Space Agency and is independently developing satellites and a small satellite launch vehicle; the government passed a space promotion act in 2021 to encourage private investment in the space industry (2025)
- Key space program milestones
- 1997 - launched first sounding rocket
1999 - first scientific satellite (FORMOSAT-1) built and launched by the US
2004 - first remote sensing (RS) satellite (FORMOSAT-2) built by France and launched by US
2017 - first domestically built RS satellite (FORMOSAT-5) launched by US
2021 - initiated development of a commercial 3-stage, hybrid-engine rocket (Hapith-5)
2023 - first domestically made RS/meteorological satellite (FormoSat-7R/Triton) launched on European rocket
Transnational Issues
Illicit Drugs
- Usg identification
major precursor-chemical producer (2025)
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
- Idps
- 380 (2024 est.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index77.0 / 100as of 2024-Q426 / 1902024-Q4
Civica Pulse−2.5as of 2026-05-06—2026-05-06
V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.70as of 2024-Q431 / 1702024-Q4
Freedom House StatusFree (100/100)as of 2024-Q4—2024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Free press (78/100)as of 2024—2024
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Taiwan — vintage 2026-Q1: Taiwan factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/taiwan
Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), OECD.Stat, UN Statistics Division, V-Dem, CIA World Factbook