TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan faces a prolonged retirement wave that will persist until at least 2026, the Ministry of the Interior (MOI, 內政部) announced on Monday (Nov. 4). This trend emerges as the nation grapples with an aging population, with the National Development Council (NDC, 國家發展委員會) predicting that by 2025, over 20% of the population will be elderly, marking Taiwan's transition into a "super-aged society."
In 2023, a record 326,247 individuals reached the retirement age of 65, a 5.9% increase from the previous year, setting a decade-high. The population aged 15 to 64, considered the working-age group, fell below 70% of the total population, with 16,330,044 individuals, marking a decline since its peak in 2015. Meanwhile, those aged 65 and above accounted for 18.35%, totaling 4,296,985 people.
The MOI emphasized that the 65-year-old population will continue to rise, reaching a peak of 351,706 by 2028, with an anticipated record number of retirees that year. The population aged 60 to 64 increased by 2.28% last year, reaching 1,754,721, driven by longer life expectancies. The NDC projects that this age group will peak at 1,767,492 in 2026, indicating the retirement wave will persist until then.
Taiwan's demographic shifts underscore the urgency for policies to address the challenges of an aging society. Policymakers must prepare for these changes to ensure sustainable economic growth and social welfare.