Taiwan - TW - TWN - TPE - East and Southeast Asia

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)

mailing address: 4170 AIT Taipei Place, Washington DC  20521-4170

telephone: [886] 2-2162-2000

FAX: [886] 2-2162-2251

email address and website: TaipeiACS@state.gov

https://www.ait.org.tw/

branch office(s): American Institute in Taiwan
No. 100, Jinhu Road,
Neihu District 11461, Taipei City

other offices: Kaohsiung (Branch Office)

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)

23 30 N, 121 00 E

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female

total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined

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 1: in January 2024, Taiwan extended compulsory service from 4 to 12 months for men born in 2005 and thereafter

note 2: as of 2023, women made up about 15% of the active-duty military

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.

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

integrated circuits, machine parts, broadcasting equipment, computers, plastics (2023)

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

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: 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

rice, vegetables, pork, chicken, cabbages, milk, sugarcane, tropical fruits, pineapples, eggs (2023)

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Taiwan Armed Forces: Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force

Ocean Affairs Council: Coast Guard Administration (CGA)

Ministry of Interior: National Police (2025)

note: the CGA is a law enforcement organization with homeland security functions during peacetime and national defense missions during wartime

revenues: $94.943 billion (2019 est.)

expenditures: $105.833 billion (2019 est.)

name: Taipei

geographic coordinates: 25 02 N, 121 31 E

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

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

integrated circuits, crude petroleum, machinery, natural gas, coal (2023)

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

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

1,566.3 km

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

New Taiwan dollars (TWD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates:
28.211 (2020 est.)
30.472 (2019 est.)
30.8395 (2018 est.)
31.911 (2014 est.)

chief of state: President LAI Ching-te (since 19 May 2024)

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

cabinet: Executive Yuan - ministers appointed by president on recommendation of premier

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

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%)

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%; note - TSAI is the first woman elected president of Taiwan

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: similar to the flag of Samoa

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

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 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

subordinate courts: high courts; district courts; hierarchy of administrative courts

total: 0 km

agricultural land: 22% (2022 est.)

arable land: 16.7% (2022 est.)

permanent crops: 5.4% (2022 est.)

permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)

forest: 0% (2022 est.)

other: 78% (2022 est.)

civil law system

legislature name: Legislative Yuan

legislative structure: unicameral

number of seats: 113 (directly elected)

electoral system: plurality/majority

scope of elections: full renewal

term in office: 4 years

most recent election date: 13 January 2024

parties elected and seats per party: Kuomintang (KMT) 52, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) 51, Taiwan People's Party (TPP) 8, independent 2

percentage of women in chamber: 41.6%

expected date of next election: January 2028

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 98.5%

male: 99.7%

female: 97.3% (2014)

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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

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

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

noun: Taiwan (singular and plural)

adjective: Taiwan (or Taiwanese)

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

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

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

high-income East Asian economy; most technologically advanced computer microchip manufacturing; increasing Chinese interference threatens market capabilities; minimum wages rising; longstanding regional socioeconomic inequality

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

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

total: 1,613.1 km (2018)

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

semi-presidential republic

conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Taiwan

local long form: none

local short form: Taiwan

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"

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

Southeast Asia

3,820 sq km (2012)

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

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

percent of population: 90% (2021 est.)

.tw

$611.391 billion (2019 est.)

Fitch rating: AA- (2016)

Moody's rating: Aa3 (1994)

Standard & Poors rating: AA- (2002)

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

67 cubic meters (2011)

urban population: 80.1% of total population (2023)

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

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)

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

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

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

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)

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

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

household consumption: 53% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 14.1% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 20.5% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: -0.2% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 65.2% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -52.6% (2017 est.)

total dependency ratio: 44.9 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio: 17.6 (2024 est.)

elderly dependency ratio: 27.3 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio: 3.7 (2024 est.)

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

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

B

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 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 population

note 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

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

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.

highest point: Yu Shan 3,952 m

lowest point: South China Sea 0 m

mean elevation: 1,150 m

75.2% (2016)

note: percent of women aged 20-52

2.5% of GDP (2023 est.)
2.1% of GDP (2022)
2.1% of GDP (2021)
2.1% of GDP (2020)
1.8% of GDP (2019)

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 China

the 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)

China 20%, USA 17%, Hong Kong 13%, Singapore 9%, Japan 7% (2023)

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

China 21%, Japan 13%, USA 11%, S. Korea 9%, Australia 5% (2023)

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

approximately 180,000 active-duty troops (95,000 Army; 45,000 Navy, including approximately 10,000 marines; 40,000 Air Force) (2024)

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

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)

improved:

urban: NA

rural: NA

total: NA

unimproved:

urban: NA

rural: NA

total: NA

improved:

urban: NA

rural: NA

total: NA

unimproved:

urban: NA

rural: NA

total: NA

municipal solid waste generated annually: 7.336 million tons (2015 est.)

on food: 13.8% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco: 2.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

production: 5.212 million metric tons (2023 est.)

consumption: 64.609 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports: 47,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports: 58.15 million metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves: 1 million metric tons (2023 est.)

fossil fuels: 84.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

nuclear: 6.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar: 4.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind: 2.2% 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.)

production: 60.761 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

consumption: 27.222 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports: 26.997 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves: 6.23 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

total petroleum production: 800 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 954,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves: 2.38 million barrels (2021 est.)

0.54 (2024 est.)

51% (2023 est.)

Number of operational nuclear reactors: 1 (2025)

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 0.94GW (2025 est.)

Percent of total electricity production: 6.9% (2023 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down: 5 (2025)

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: 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

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

Taiwan Space Agency (TASA; renamed and reorganized in 2023 from the former National Space Program Organization or NSPO, which was established in 1991) (2024)

total ports: 8 (2024)

large: 1

medium: 3

small: 2

very small: 2

ports with oil terminals: 8

key ports: Chi-Lung, Hua-Lien Kang, Kao-Hsiung, Su-Ao

11.498 million (2020 est.)

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

total: 44.6 years (2024 est.)

male: 43.6 years

female: 45.5 years

$456.7 billion (2017 est.)
$439 billion (2016 est.)

35.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

note: data for central government

1.11 children born/woman (2024 est.)

3.73% (2019 est.)
3.69% (2018 est.)

total: 23,595,274 (2024 est.)

male: 11,606,491

female: 11,988,783

289.109 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.)

from consumed natural gas: 56.361 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total : 35,980 sq km

land: 32,260 sq km

water: 3,720 sq km

note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Kinmen islands

16% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

$1.143 trillion (2019 est.)
$1.113 trillion (2018 est.)
$1.083 trillion (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2010 dollars

57 (2025)

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

male: 4.2 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 3.5 deaths/1,000 live births

total subscriptions: 30 million (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 128 (2023 est.)

33.6 (2014)

0.5% (2019 est.)
1.3% (2018 est.)
0.6% (2017 est.)

$65.173 billion (2019 est.)
$70.843 billion (2018 est.)

$47,800 (2019 est.)
$46,600 (2018 est.)
$45,400 (2017 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars

total: 5,831,470 (2019 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 25 (2019 est.)

206.102 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

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

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

installed generating capacity: 64.535 million kW (2023 est.)

consumption: 270.648 billion kWh (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 7.907 billion kWh (2023 est.)

total: 465 (2023)

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

NA

$308.744 billion (2019 est.)
$305.428 billion (2018 est.)
$303.067 billion (2017 est.)

$388.49 billion (2019 est.)
$383.484 billion (2018 est.)
$382.736 billion (2017 est.)

56 (2025)

total subscriptions: 10 million (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 43 (2023 est.)

total population: 81.6 years (2024 est.)

male: 78.6 years

female: 84.7 years

2.71% (2019 est.)
2.75% (2018 est.)
3.31% (2017 est.)

3.9% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 1.8% (2017 est.)

industry: 36% (2017 est.)

services: 62.1% (2017 est.)

0.03% (2024 est.)