TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's demographic decline accelerated in April as the island's population dwindled to 23,365,274 residents, reflecting a loss of nearly 50,000 people compared to the same month last year, according to official figures. The Ministry of the Interior (MOI, 內政部), Taiwan's government agency overseeing population affairs, confirmed on Friday (May 9) that the island has now experienced 16 straight months of population contraction, highlighting a persistent demographic challenge for the East Asian democracy.
The ministry's data revealed a troubling milestone as April registered the lowest monthly birth count on record, with just 8,684 newborns — a drop of 704 from March figures. This anemic birth rate translates to only 4.52 births per 1,000 residents, far below replacement level. Death statistics showed modest improvement with 17,205 fatalities in April, representing 1,428 fewer deaths than in March, but still yielding a crude death rate of 8.96 per 1,000 people — nearly double the birth rate.
The report included relationship statistics showing 6,520 marriages were registered across Taiwan in April, with traditional different-sex unions accounting for 6,353 cases and same-sex marriages — legal in Taiwan since 2019 — comprising 167 of the total. These figures establish a crude marriage rate of 3.39 per 1,000 residents. Relationship dissolutions remained proportionally high, with 4,334 divorces recorded in the same period (4,253 different-sex and 81 same-sex couples), yielding a crude divorce rate of 2.26 per 1,000 people.
Migration patterns compounded natural population decline, with 73,023 individuals entering Taiwan while 73,970 departed, resulting in a net migration deficit of 947 people. When combined with the birth-death imbalance, Taiwan's total population contracted by 9,468 residents in April alone. Regional disparities emerged across the island, with Taoyuan City — a major industrial hub near Taipei — bucking the national trend by recording 1.02% population growth, while the remote offshore Lienchiang County (Matsu Islands) experienced a pronounced 2.05% population decrease.
The persistent demographic contraction has prompted growing concern among government planners and economists about Taiwan's future workforce capacity, pension system sustainability, and economic dynamism. Officials face mounting pressure to develop comprehensive policies addressing multiple factors driving population decline, including high housing costs in urban centers, demanding work cultures that complicate family formation, and an increasingly competitive economic environment for young adults. ★