2024 Edition Primary

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.

Area

land

32,260 sq km

note

note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Kinmen islands

total

35,980 sq km

water

3,720 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined

Climate

tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); persistent and extensive cloudiness all year

Coastline

1,566.3 km

Elevation

highest point

Yu Shan 3,952 m

lowest point

South China Sea 0 m

mean elevation

1,150 m

Geographic coordinates

23 30 N, 121 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon Strait

Irrigated land

3,820 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

22.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 16.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 5.8% (2018 est.)

other

77.3% (2018 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

Map references

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

earthquakes; typhoonsvolcanism: Kueishantao Island (401 m), east of Taiwan, is its only historically active volcano, although it has not erupted in centuries

Natural resources

small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, asbestos, arable land

Population distribution

distribution exhibits a peripheral coastal settlement pattern, with the largest populations on the north and west coasts

Terrain

eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling plains in west

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)

Birth rate

7.3 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

75.2% (2016)

note

note: percent of women aged 20-52

Current health expenditure

NA

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

51% (2023 est.)

Death rate

8.1 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

22.4

potential support ratio

4.5 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

40.2

youth dependency ratio

17.8

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: NA

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: NA

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Education expenditures

NA

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%

note

note 1: there are 16 officially recognized indigenous groups: Amis, Atayal, Bunun, Hla'alua, Kanakaravu, Kavalan, Paiwan, Puyuma, Rukai, Saisiyat, Sakizaya, Seediq, Thao, Truku, Tsou, and Yami; Amis, Paiwan, and Atayal are the largest and account for roughly 70% of the indigenous populationnote 2: although not definitive, the majority of current genetic, archeological, and linguistic data support the theory that Taiwan is the ultimate source for the spread of humans across the Pacific to Polynesia; the expansion (ca. 3000 B.C. to A.D. 1200) took place via the Philippines and eastern Indonesia and reached Fiji and Tonga by about 900 B.C.; from there voyagers spread across the rest of the Pacific islands over the next two millennia

Gross reproduction rate

0.54 (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

3.5 deaths/1,000 live births

male

4.2 deaths/1,000 live births

total

3.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

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.

Life expectancy at birth

female

84.7 years

male

78.6 years

total population

81.6 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

97.3% (2014)

male

99.7%

total population

98.5%

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)

Median age

female

45.5 years

male

43.6 years

total

44.6 years (2024 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Taiwan (or Taiwanese)

note

note: example - he or she is from Taiwan; they are from Taiwan

noun

Taiwan (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

1.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Physician density

NA

Population

female

11,988,783 (2024 est.)

male

11,606,491

total

23,595,274

Population distribution

distribution exhibits a peripheral coastal settlement pattern, with the largest populations on the north and west coasts

Population growth rate

0.03% (2024 est.)

Religions

Buddhist 35.3%, Taoist 33.2%, Christian 3.9%, folk religion (includes Confucian) approximately 10%, none or unspecified 18.2% (2005 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: NA

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: NA

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.82 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.11 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.65% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

80.1% of total population (2023)

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)

note

note: Taiwan uses a variety of romanization systems; while a modified Wade-Giles system still dominates, the city of Taipei has adopted a Pinyin romanization for street and place names within its boundaries; other local authorities use different romanization systems

Capital

etymology

the Chinese meaning is "Northern Taiwan," reflecting the city's position in the far north of the island

geographic coordinates

25 02 N, 121 31 E

name

Taipei

time difference

UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

amendments

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; revised several times, last in 2005

history

previous 1912, 1931; latest adopted 25 December 1946, promulgated 1 January 1947, effective 25 December 1947

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Taiwan

etymology

"Tayowan" was the name of the coastal sandbank where the Dutch erected their colonial headquarters on the island in the 17th century; the former name "Formosa" means "beautiful" in Portuguese

former

Formosa

local long form

none

local short form

Taiwan

Diplomatic representation from the US

branch office(s)

American Institute in TaiwanNo. 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 Sandra OUDKIRK (since July 2021)

email address and website

TaipeiACS@state.govhttps://www.ait.org.tw/

FAX

[886] 2-2162-2251

mailing address

4170 AIT Taipei Place, Washington DC  20521-4170

other offices

Kaohsiung (Branch Office)

telephone

[886] 2-2162-2000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission

none

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

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

Executive branch

cabinet

Executive Yuan - ministers appointed by president on recommendation of premier

chief of state

President LAI Ching-te (since 19 May 2024)

election results

2023: 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%; note - LAI takes office on 20 May 20242020: 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%; note - TSAI is the first woman elected president of Taiwan

elections/appointments

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); election last held on 13 January 2024 (next to be held in 2028); premier appointed by the president; vice premiers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the premier

head of government

Premier CHO Jung-tai (President of the Executive Yuan) (since 20 May 2024)

Flag description

red field with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays; the blue and white design of the canton (symbolizing the sun of progress) dates to 1895; it was later adopted as the flag of the Kuomintang Party; blue signifies liberty, justice, and democracy, red stands for fraternity, sacrifice, and nationalism, and white represents equality, frankness, and the people's livelihood; the 12 rays of the sun are those of the months and the twelve traditional Chinese hours (each ray equals two hours)

note

note: similar to the flag of Samoa

Government type

semi-presidential republic

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ADB (Chinese Taipei), APEC (Chinese Taipei), BCIE, CABEI, IOC, ITUC (NGOs), SICA (observer), WTO (Chinese Taipei)

note

note - separate customs territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu

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)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court justices appointed by the president; Constitutional Court justices appointed by the president, with approval of the Legislative Yuan; Supreme Court justices serve for life; Constitutional Court justices appointed for 8-year terms, with half the membership renewed every 4 years

subordinate courts

high courts; district courts; hierarchy of administrative courts

Legal system

civil law system

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Legislative Yuan (113 seats; 73 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 34 directly elected in a single island-wide constituency by proportional representation vote, and 6 directly elected in multi-seat aboriginal constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - DPP 40.6%, KMT 37.2%, TPP 12.6%, other 5.7%, independent 3.9%; seats by party - KMT 52, DPP 51, TPP 8, independent 2; composition - men 66, women 47, percentage women 41.6%

elections

last held on 13 January 2024 (next to be held in 2028)

National anthem

lyrics/music

HU Han-min, TAI Chi-t'ao, and LIAO Chung-k'ai/CHENG Mao-yun

name

"Zhonghua Minguo guoge" (National Anthem of the Republic of China)

note

note: adopted 1930; also the song of the Kuomintang Party; it is informally known as "San Min Chu I" or "San Min Zhu Yi" (Three Principles of the People); because of political pressure from China, "Guo Qi Ge" (National Banner Song) is used at international events rather than the official anthem of Taiwan; the "National Banner Song" has gained popularity in Taiwan and is commonly used during flag raisings

National holiday

Republic Day (National Day), 10 October (1911); note - celebrates the anniversary of the Chinese Revolution, also known as Double Ten (10-10) Day

National symbol(s)

white, 12-rayed sun on blue field; national colors: blue, white, red

Political parties

Democratic Progressive Party or DPP Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) Taiwan People's Party or TPP 

note

note: the DPP and the KMT are the two major political parties; more than 30 parties garnered votes in the 2024 election

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal; note - in March 2022, the Legislative Yuan approved lowering the voting age to 18, but the change will require a constitutional amendment that must be submitted to a referendum

Agricultural products

rice, vegetables, pork, chicken, cabbages, sugarcane, milk, eggs, tropical fruits, pineapples (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

2.4% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

14.2% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$105.833 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$94.943 billion (2019 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

AA- (2016)

Moody's rating

Aa3 (1994)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

AA- (2002)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2018

$70.843 billion (2018 est.)

Current account balance 2019

$65.173 billion (2019 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

Exchange rates

Currency

New Taiwan dollars (TWD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2014

31.911 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

30.8395 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

30.472 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

28.211 (2020 est.)

Exports

Exports 2017

$382.736 billion (2017 est.)

Exports 2018

$383.484 billion (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$388.49 billion (2019 est.)

Exports - commodities

integrated circuits, machine parts, computers, refined petroleum, plastics (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

China 22%, US 15%, Hong Kong 12%, Singapore 7%, Japan 6% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

65.2% (2017 est.)

government consumption

14.1% (2017 est.)

household consumption

53% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-52.6% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

20.5% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

-0.2% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

1.8% (2017 est.)

industry

36% (2017 est.)

services

62.1% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$611.391 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2014

33.6 (2014)

Imports

Imports 2017

$303.067 billion (2017 est.)

Imports 2018

$305.428 billion (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$308.744 billion (2019 est.)

Imports - commodities

integrated circuits, crude petroleum, machinery, natural gas, coal (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

China 19%, Japan 12%, US 10%, South Korea 7%, Australia 6% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

3.9% (2017 est.)

Industries

electronics, communications and information technology products, petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, iron and steel, machinery, cement, food processing, vehicles, consumer products, pharmaceuticals

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

0.6% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

1.3% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

0.5% (2019 est.)

Labor force

11.498 million (2020 est.)

Public debt

note

note: data for central government

Public debt 2017

35.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017

$1.083 trillion (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$1.113 trillion (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$1.143 trillion (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2017

3.31% (2017 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2018

2.75% (2018 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2019

2.71% (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2017

$45,400 (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2018

$46,600 (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$47,800 (2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$439 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$456.7 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

16% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2018

3.69% (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate 2019

3.73% (2019 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

143.069 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

56.227 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

106.739 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

306.035 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

consumption

66.855 million metric tons (2022 est.)

exports

52,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

63.855 million metric tons (2022 est.)

production

5.608 million metric tons (2022 est.)

proven reserves

1 million metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

274.029 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

61.944 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

9.615 billion kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

1.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

83.7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

1.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

nuclear

8.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

3.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

1.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

208.336 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

27.157 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

imports

27.085 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

63.747 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves

6.23 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

1.87GW (2023)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down

2

Number of operational nuclear reactors

2 (2023)

Percent of total electricity production

11% (2021)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

2.38 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

1.022 million bbl/day (2022 est.)

total petroleum production

800 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

25 (2019 est.)

total

5,831,470 (2019 est.)

Broadcast media

5 nationwide television networks operating roughly 22 TV stations; more than 300 satellite TV channels are available; about 51% of households utilize multi-channel cable TV; 99.9% of households subscribe to digital cable TV; national and regional radio networks with about 171 radio stations (2023)

Internet country code

.tw

Internet users

percent of population

90% (2021 est.)

total

21.6 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line over 43 per 100 and mobile-cellular roughly 128 per 100 (2023)

general assessment

Taiwan has a highly developed telecoms sector in both the fixed-line and mobile segments; in part this is due to its early moves to liberalize the market, allowing vigorous competition to flourish; the Taiwan authorities have also made concerted efforts to take advantage of Taiwan’s strengths in the development of high-tech, export-oriented industries to encourage and enable the rapid adoption of advanced telecom platforms, while simultaneously leveraging the same telecoms infrastructure to push even further ahead with Taiwan's industrial development plans; Taiwan has one of the highest teledensities in the region; while fixed-line subscriber numbers are trending downwards, the rate of decline has been slowed by the major fixed-line provider investing strongly in building out a widespread fiber network to allow customers to maintain a terrestrial voice connection as part of a fixed broadband package; fiber is the dominant platform in Taiwan’s fixed broadband market; cable services have retained an unusually strong following thanks to the success of cable providers in delivering competitive cable TV and telephony services as a way to get around Chunghwa Telecom’s control of the last mile for its copper and fiber networks; Taiwan also has high penetration rates in its mobile and mobile broadband segments, growth in both markets is almost at a standstill because Taiwan reached 100% penetration very early on – way back when GSM was first introduced, in mobile’s case; the MNOs moved quickly to roll out 4G and 5G networks and services in rapid succession, but subscriber numbers (and market share) has barely changed; the improved quality and performance available with the new platforms will drive increased usage and ARPU; fierce competition following the launch of 4G saw the opposite happen, with price wars causing telco revenues to fall instead; Taiwan’s 5G penetration rate reached 25 percent in October 2023, ranked 5th around the world now; Taiwan’s 5G roll-out plan faces challenges as subscribers enjoy 4G unlimited data flow tariff and yet to see a killer app in the 5G world (2023)

international

country code - 886; landing points for the EAC-C2C, APCN-2, FASTER, SJC2, TSE-1, TPE, APG, SeaMeWe-3, FLAG North Asia Loop/REACH North Asia Loop, HKA, NCP, and PLCN submarine fiber cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

43 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions

10 million (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

128 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions

30 million (2023 est.)

Airports

53 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

B

Heliports

39 (2024)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 29, container ship 53, general cargo 58, oil tanker 35, other 290

total

465 (2023)

National air transport system

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

216

number of registered air carriers

7 (2020)

Pipelines

25 km condensate, 2,200 km gas, 13,500 km oil (2018)

Ports

key ports

Chi-Lung, Hua-Lien Kang, Kao-Hsiung, Su-Ao

large

1

medium

3

ports with oil terminals

8

small

2

total ports

8 (2024)

very small

2

Railways

narrow gauge

1,118.1 km (2018) 1.067-m gauge (793.9 km electrified)

note

150 0.762-m gauge note: the 0.762-gauge track belongs to three entities: the Forestry Bureau, Taiwan Cement, and TaiPower

standard gauge

345 km (2018) 1.435-m gauge (345 km electrified)

total

1,613.1 km (2018)

Roadways

paved

42,793 km (includes 1,348 km of highways and 737 km of expressways)

total

43,206 km

unpaved

413 km (2017)

Military - note

the military’s primary responsibility is external security, including the defense of the country’s sovereignty and territory, and the protection of Taiwan’s air space, maritime claims, and sea lines of communication; its main focus is the challenge posed by the People’s Republic of Chinathe US Taiwan Relations Act of April 1979 states that the US shall provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character and shall maintain the capacity of the US to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or social or economic system, of the people of Taiwan (2024)

Military and security forces

Taiwan Armed Forces: Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air ForceOcean Affairs Council: Coast Guard Administration (CGA)Ministry of Interior: National Police (2024)

note

note: the CGA is a law enforcement organization with homeland security functions during peacetime and national defense missions during wartime; it was established in 2000 from the integration of the Coast Guard Command (formerly under the Ministry of Defense), the Marine Police Bureau (formerly under the National Police), and several cutters from the Taiwan Directorate General of Customs (Ministry of Finance)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 180,000 active-duty troops (95,000 Army; 45,000 Navy, including approximately 10,000 marines; 40,000 Air Force) (2023)

note

note: Taiwan trains about 120,000 reservists annually, but in 2022 announced intentions to increase that figure to 260,000

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Taiwan military's inventory is a mix of domestically-produced items and equipment acquired 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 (2024)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2019

1.8% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

2.1% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

2.1% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

2.1% of GDP (2022)

Military Expenditures 2023

2.5% of GDP (2023 est.)

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 may enlist but are restricted to noncombat roles in most cases (2024)

note

note 1: in January 2024, Taiwan extended compulsory service from 4 to 12 months for men born in 2005 and thereafternote 2: as of 2023, women made up about 15% of the active-duty military

Illicit drugs

major source of precursor chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics

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) (2024)

Space launch site(s)

sounding rockets launched from Jui Peng Air Base (Pingtung); has announced intentions to build a future rocket launch site (2024)

Space program overview

space program focused on the acquisition of satellites and the development of independent space capabilities, such as rocket manufacturing and satellite launch services; manufactures and operates remote sensing (RS) and scientific/research satellites; manufactures and tests sounding rockets; researching and developing other space technologies, including communications satellites, small satellites, satellite payloads and ground station components, spacecraft components, optical RS and telecommunications, navigational control, and rocket propulsion systems; has bi-lateral relations with the space programs of India and the US, but is blocked from participating in most international and regional space organizations due to political pressure from China; has a commercial space industry that provides components and expertise for TASA and is independently developing satellites and a small satellite launch vehicle (2024)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide

Climate

tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to August); persistent and extensive cloudiness all year

Environment - current issues

air pollution; water pollution from industrial emissions, raw sewage; contamination of drinking water supplies; trade in endangered species; low-level radioactive waste disposal

Land use

agricultural land

22.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 16.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 5.8% (2018 est.)

other

77.3% (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

67 cubic meters (2011)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.65% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

80.1% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

7.336 million tons (2015 est.)