Taiwan enters "super-aged" society with 20 pct people aged 65 or older

TAIPEI, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan has officially become a "super-aged" society, with 20.06 percent of its population aged 65 or above as of the end of 2025, according to data released by the local authorities on Friday.

The figures show the island's total population stood at 23.3 million at the end of last year, including 4.67 million people aged 65 or older.

The total population was 101,088 fewer than at the end of 2024, marking a second consecutive year of population decline in Taiwan.

The number of newborns has continued to fall. Total births last year amounted to 107,812, extending a downward trend for the 10th year since 2016.

The World Health Organization defines a society as an "aging society" when people aged 65 or above account for 7 percent of the total population, an "aged society" at 14 percent, and a "super-aged society" at 20 percent.

Taiwan became an "aging society" in 1993 and entered an "aged society" in 2018. ■