﻿ Taipei City Government-Demographic Overview
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Demographic Structure and Composition

One year after the Taiwan Retrocession in 1945, a national census was conducted (1946). The population at that time was 271,754. In 1968, the six districts of Neihu, Nangang, Muzha, Jingmei, Shilin and Beitou were rezoned and annexed into Taipei City, and the population at the end of that year totaled 1,604,543. By the end of 2016, the population reached 2,695,704 (males, 1,289,510; females, 1,406,194). Compared with 2015, the total population dropped by 9,106 (males down by 5,952; females down by 3,154).
Handicraft class for creative living in Wenshan District

1. Demographic Distribution

Taipei’s population spreads across the city's 12 districts. Due to terrain differences, varying socioeconomic development progresses and different development periods, the population is unevenly distributed. Daan, Shilin and Neihu districts are the most populated.

(1) Population Density

By the end of 2016, the population density in Taipei City was 9,918 people per square kilometer. By district, Daan was the most densely populated with 27,418 people per square kilometer, whereas Beitou was the most sparsely populated district, with 4,529 people per square kilometer.

(2) Births and Deaths

The crude birth rate in 2016 was 10.37‰, indicating a 0.35‰ drop from the previous year. The crude death rate was 6.66‰, suggesting a 0.33‰ increase from 2015. Shifts in the socioeconomic climate and financial concerns have affected people’s willingness to give birth and raise children, causing the birthrate to drop. Nevertheless, the “Have a Care-Free Pregnancy” campaign by the Taipei City Government launched in 2011 has helped the city's birthrate to climb back up. The population of elderly citizens in Taipei City has risen consistently in the past decade. Governments are now hard-at-work to prevent population decline, and to prevent the rapid aging of population from stunting the nation's economic development, while encouraging a reasonable population growth at the same time. These social issues demand immediate attention and effective solutions.

Birth and Death Rates of Taipei City's Demographics in the Last Decade

2. Demographic Composition

Demographic composition reveals a wealth of information, including the makeup of the population, the nature and causes of specific social issues, and the connection between the communities and their socioeconomic development. Population composition is a vital indicator of socioeconomic shifts; it is also crucial frame of reference for the government to base their present and future social welfare policies on.

(1) Age Distribution

Generally speaking, the greater the number of laborers, the lower the dependency ratio. A nation's economic growth benefits tremendously from a large productive population. By the end of 2016, the younger population (between the ages of 0-14) was 375,128, the working adult population (between the ages of 15-64) was 1,901,466, while the elderly population (above 65 of age) was 419,130. The dependency ratio was 41.77%, up by 1.49% from 2015.

(2) Marital Status

In 2016, the number of couples who registered for marriage was 17,796, the crude marriage rate was 6.59‰; the number of couples filing for divorce was 5,532, the crude divorce rate was 2.05‰. Compared with the year before, the crude marriage rate was down by 0.35‰; the crude divorce rate rose by 0.02‰.

Bridal assistant training in Zhongzheng District

(3) Distribution of Aborigines

Taiwan’s aborigines consist of the Amis, Atayal, Paiwan, Bunun, Rukai, Puyuma, Tsou, Saisiat, Yami, Thao, Kavalan, Taroko, Sakizaya, Seediq, Saaroa, and Kanakanavu tribes. By the end of 2016, the aboriginal population of Taipei City was 16,181. The largest aboriginal population was the Amis, while the Saaroa, and Kanakanavu tribes had the fewest number of people. Most of the aborigines live in Neihu, Wenshan, and Nangang Districts.

(4) New Immigrants and Foreigner Populations

"New immigrants" are defined as foreign and Chinese spouses (including those from Hong Kong and Macao) who marry Taiwanese citizens. As political, economic, trade, social, and cultural exchange between Taiwan and the rest of the world grows more common; the people of Taiwan are also embracing a broader worldview. As a result, intermarriages between Taiwanese and foreign/mainland Chinese spouses are increasing in number. By the end of December, 2016, the number of new immigrants living in Taipei City was 34,371; among which, Chinese spouses (including those from Hong Kong and Macao) accounted for the great majority, at 30,648; spouses from other nations stood at 3,723 in number. In addition, the top three districts with the greatest number of new immigrants are: Wanhua, at 4,438; Wenshan, at 3,582; and Daan, at 3,508 (source: Department of Household Registration under the Ministry of Interior. The statistical data was based on the number of new immigrants whose spouses' domicile registration is set up in Taipei City).
Dance performances by new immigrants To help immigrants adapt to a new culture, and encourage the locals to support multicultural activities, the city government has launched "the Assistance for the New Immigrants" services and a series of new immigrant courses, ranging from life adaptation and enrichment workshops, language (Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Thai) learning camps that focused on the mother tongues of the new immigrants, cultural studies, computer courses and performance workshops. Furthermore, to address the shift in new immigrants' life adaptation needs, in 2013 the Department of Civil Affairs of Taipei City Government began unveiling new courses that combined local cultural flair and industrial development focuses. Here are some of the examples: patchwork classes in Wanhua, handicraft classes in Datong, and training for bridal assistance in Zhongshan. These courses help new immigrants become more familiarized with community culture, while enhancing their professional capabilities.

Additionally, to encourage new immigrant families to interact with existing citizens more, the Department of Civil Affairs, Taipei City Government organizes large cultural events every year in hopes of fashioning Taipei City into a community that respects, honors and appreciates multicultural beauty. Events were held at Wanhua New Immigrant Activity Center (a folk culture workshop and hors d’oeuvres featuring Southeast Asian delights), a cultural and language summer camp (on Vietnamese and English), dance performances by new immigrants, and cultural exchange activities that encourage greater interaction between new immigrants and community members. These activities were attended by 1,500 individuals.
Table 1 Taipei City Age Structure of the Past Decade
Age 0-14
Age 15-64
Age 65 and above
Source: Department of Civil Affairs (Unit:%)


Population-Related Terms
Definition of population-Related Terms
Crude marriage rate: Number of married couples as a percentage of the overall population in a certain period
Crude divorce rate: Number of divorced couples as a percentage of the overall population in a certain period
Crude birth rate: Number of live births per 1,000 people
Crude death rate: Deaths in a year as a percentage of the total population, the number of deaths per 1,000 people
Dependency ratio: A simple measurement of the burden on the working population of dependents