Taiwan's Population Declines for 29th Consecutive Month; May Newborns Hit Second-Lowest on Record

(CNA, Taipei, June 10, by reporter Lai Yu-chen) According to statistics from the Ministry of the Interior (MOI), as of the end of May this year, Taiwan's total population was 23,252,641, marking a continuous negative growth for 29 months. The lowest number of newborns in a single month was 6,523 in February this year, while May's 6,832 newborns set the second-lowest record in history.

The MOI today released the household registration statistics for May 2026. As of the end of May, Taiwan's total population was 23,252,641, a decrease of 102,829 people compared to the same period last year, and a drop of 9,903 people compared to April.

Regarding newborns, there were 6,832 births in May, equivalent to an annual crude birth rate of 3.46 per thousand, a decrease of over a thousand compared to both the same period last year and April. By county and city, the highest crude birth rates were in Taitung County (5.09‰), Penghu County (4.64‰), and Hsinchu City (4.37‰); the lowest were in Keelung City (1.90‰), Miaoli County (2.69‰), and Chiayi County (2.75‰).

The number of deaths in May was 15,158, equivalent to an annual crude death rate of 7.67 per thousand, a decrease of 224 from the same period last year and 836 from April.

Regarding migration, which affects social increase, the number of immigrants in May was 69,412, an increase of 327 from April. The number of emigrants was 70,989, an increase of 1,730 from April, resulting in a net migration of negative 1,577 people.

The 'natural population increase,' calculated by subtracting deaths from births, was negative 8,326 for Taiwan in May. The 'social population increase,' calculated from net migration, was negative 1,577 in May. Combining both natural and social increases, the total population decreased by 9,903 people in May compared to April.

Regarding marital status, a total of 11,559 couples married in May, including 11,171 heterosexual and 388 same-sex couples, equivalent to an annual crude marriage rate of 5.85 per thousand. Both the number of marriages and the crude marriage rate hit a one-year high.

There were 4,143 divorces in May, including 4,056 heterosexual and 87 same-sex couples, for a crude divorce rate of 2.10 per thousand.

Taiwan entered a super-aged society last year. As of the end of May, the population aged 0-14 was 2,642,980 (11.37% of the total), the population aged 15-64 was 15,859,310 (68.20%), and the population aged 65 and over was 4,750,351 (20.43%). (Editor: Hsieh Chia-chen) 20260610