TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (主計總處) revised Taiwan's 2025 economic growth rate to 7.37% on Friday (Nov. 28), marking the highest record since the 2008 financial crisis. Officials attribute this robust growth to strong demand for artificial intelligence, projecting a more conservative 3.54% growth rate for 2026.
Tsai Yu-tai (蔡鈺泰), director of the Department of Statistics, revealed to Central News Agency reporters a significant increase in export figures. He noted that goods exports in the second half of this year surged by US$35.7 billion, surpassing US$600 billion for the year. He highlighted the expanded capital expenditures by cloud service providers, which boosted demand for Taiwan's chips, servers, and components, expecting this trend to continue next year.
The Directorate General's cautious outlook for 2026 stems from uncertainties surrounding reciprocal tariff outcomes and the U.S. semiconductor Section 232 investigation. On the domestic front, government policies, including cash handouts and reduced commodity taxes, have spurred consumer spending, with private consumption expected to grow by 1.50% this year.
Tsai pointed out that the impact of cash handouts will primarily affect the fourth quarter of this year and the first quarter of next year, estimating a 7.91% economic growth rate for the fourth quarter. Addressing the issue of industrial polarization, he mentioned that China's "anti-involution" policy could alleviate pressure on traditional industries.